


ashes to gold

by johnjaemark



Series: a solar system on fire [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Arranged Marriage, Fae & Fairies, M/M, Multi, Original Mythology, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Seelie Court, Unseelie Court, War, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:40:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 80,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22794124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnjaemark/pseuds/johnjaemark
Summary: The Seelie and Unseelie court have been enemies for centuries, since their creations. They would appreciate it staying that way, too, except for the turn in the tide of the war being waged against the witches and their losses increasing. With the threat of extermination growing, they must reunite and align.What better way to align than sending Prince Kun of the Seelie court to the Unseelie court to marry Prince Ten, the wildest child of the king.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Qian Kun, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung
Series: a solar system on fire [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1712734
Comments: 272
Kudos: 379





	1. I

_ Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. - King Henry the Fourth, Shakespeare _

*

Kun had never felt snow, let alone seen it.

This most certainly had to do with the fact that Kun lived in a castle that was mere feet away from the ocean, sand and salt water curling at the palace’s pillars as friendly hellos. He had never mourned the fact that he lived beside an ocean, in fact, he found himself lucky. He had educated himself well enough to be thankful for the fact that he did not live in a desert or on a mountain.

This did not mean, though, that Kun did not wonder about snow. He sometimes wondered about how it would feel to lie in mounds of snow; the feeling of snowflakes kissing his pink cheeks. Sometimes, he tried to ask others about the experiences they’ve had outside of the Seelie Court, but they just smiled sweetly and brushed it off. He would never consider himself naive by any means, he devoured as many books as he could to learn about what he could not witness, but he was considerably sheltered by his court. 

Sometimes, it was hard to recall the fact that he was the crown prince, due to the way they continued to dote on him. He didn’t necessarily understand it, the way everyone tiptoed around him holding their breaths. He thought himself to be fair tempered, as most royalty had to be, but there were times where he would get irate from the way he was treated. He may have been a prince, but he was a grown man; a grown man with vast knowledge in not only academia but combat as well.

“I know how to care for myself,” Kun grumbled to Moon Taeil on his balcony, watching as the ocean surged in lazy waves. 

“I know that. You know that. Your parents do not know that,” Taeil responded calmly, his eyes focused rather on the soldiers that dotted along the line of the beach. The sun was close to setting, orange and red seeping through the deep blue of the sky. Yet, despite how late it was getting, the royal guard was still at it, running through drills and training the new additions. Kun supposed it had something to do with the fact that bad news had arrived that morning; the war wasn’t getting better, but rather worse.

The effects of the letter had been felt throughout the castle all day long, a grim atmosphere settling over everyone like a suffocating blanket. Kun hated when the castle was like that, where everyone was sullen and hidden away. He wondered if he could find Chenle and Jisung or Yangyang and ask them to cause some mischief, if only to lighten everyone’s mood. As a prince, though, it wouldn’t be too good of him to promote mayhem. That was more of an Unseelie thing to do, and he knew exactly how his parents felt about the Unseelie.

“Someone should tell them to come inside before it gets dark,” Kun said, thinking of the royal guard now rather than the way his parents and their advisors refused to let him sit in on their meeting about new war strategies. He was a little miffed by the fact that they hadn’t even allowed Johnny or Jaehyun either, two of their best soldiers and strategists. He supposed that Yangyang would say it was them being ageist, but Yangyang felt that way about everything mostly because he was often told he was too young to do things. 

“I’ll have Taeyong do so, Your Highness,” Taeil agreed, stepping away from the railing in order to leave and seek out Taeyong.

“You don’t have to call me that.” Kun resisted the urge to whine, fully aware of how it would make him look like a petulant child. But he truly hated it, sometimes. How his courtiers, his  _ friends _ , were forced to behave a certain way with him due to his position. None of them referred to Jaehyun and Johnny by their official titles when speaking, so why couldn’t they act the same with Kun?   
  


Kun sighed, chastising himself for being so negative. He attributed it to the castle’s mood and the way it must have been getting to him. Things like that didn’t normally get to him, in fact he was usually able to brush it off with ease. Without Taeil there to speak to, to keep his mind occupied, he slumped against his railing in a decidingly undignified manner, watching the sun set. His moment of peace lasted merely a moment, as his bedroom door then his balcony door burst open. He jumped, turning to greet the intruder with raised eyebrows and a crooked crown on his head.

It was merely Jeno and Mark, both looking a little ashamed at the sudden intrusion, as if they knew themselves what they were doing was wrong. Kun didn’t particularly mind his courtiers visiting his quarters, especially the younger ones who were always so wound up and full of energy and stories to share with Kun. His parents and the servants on the other hand were often scandalized by the way Kun allowed whoever he wanted to come and go, finding it unsafe mostly.

“Is everything okay?” Kun asked, his voice wavering slightly from hesitancy. “Did you need me? Aren’t you two supposed to be with Johnny and Jaehyun on the beach right now?” The more questions that circled his brain, the more suspicious he became.

“Kun! I mean, Your Highness.” Mark hurried into a half-assed bow, seemingly much too worked up to concern himself with the regular formalities. “My apologies for bothering you in your personal quarters but… We overheard something on our way to the kitchen that we thought you should know.”

“What is it?” Kun asked, wondering what they could have heard that would rile them up so badly. He was used to Chenle or Yangyang snooping around and eavesdropping, dropping small bits of information into Kun’s lap to use as leverage, but Jeno and Mark were mostly subdued, often too busy training or spending time with Kun himself to overhear any scandalizing gossip.

“It’s your parents, Kun,” Jeno began softly, seemingly dropping honorifics while in private as Kun had told him to do multiple times. “We didn’t mean to eavesdrop on them. But… they were talking about the Unseelie court, and how although we hate them we may need them. They said…” 

“They said they’re considering a marriage. To form an alliance.” Mark finished quickly, eyes blown wide. 

“A marriage?” Kun echoed, sounding a bit distant to himself. A marriage was technically the fastest and easiest way to form an alliance, and if the war was going so badly, then he couldn’t blame his parents for wanting to make this a hasty process. The only issue was that they had only one son, one heir, one person who was valuable enough to marry off. And that was Kun himself. 

“I know we probably shouldn’t have been the ones to tell you, but it’s not something we could just keep from you,” Jeno blurted out, his eyes pooling with guilt. Of course he would regret informing Kun of something of this capacity, but he was right; it wasn’t their place, but it was also something they wouldn’t be able to keep to themselves. It would be unfair to ask young boys to carry that knowledge on their shoulders, to hide a secret so massive that would surely impact their friend heavily.

Kun’s bedroom door burst open again, and Taeyong and Taeil came running through, both wide eyed. They let out twin exhales of disappointment at the sight of Jeno and Mark. Kun could easily put the pieces together. Taeyong and Taeil had also overheard, but tried to stop the other two from telling anyone. But Jeno and Mark were soldiers, trained to be fast and efficient, while Taeil and Taeyong were advisors, trained to be pretty and political. 

“Jeno, Mark!” Taeyong hissed out, grabbing both of them by their ear. “I don’t care how close you believe you are with His Highness, it doesn’t mean you can speak to him however you want about whatever you want. What you’ve told him is a private matter of the royal family.”

“Taeyong.” Taeil shook his head and Taeyong sighed, releasing the boys who both clustered behind Kun for protection. How odd, to be just a person rather than a prince to those young boys, the same boys he recalled holding in his lap and reading to despite them only being a few years younger. “Jeno and Mark did what they thought was right. Their service is to the crown, and if they felt that Kun would be better off knowing then we cannot fault them for that.” Taeil’s eyes fell upon the cowering soldiers-in-training. “But their commanders can.”

Mark yelped. “You can’t tell Johnny and Jaehyun!”

“They won’t,” Kun assured, fixing both Taeyong and Taeil with a weary glance. “No one will speak of this until it is made public. For now, we’ll believe it’s just an option, that it’s not set in stone. Once my parents speak to me on the matter, and it becomes a reality, that is when we will concern ourselves. Jeno and Mark have done no wrong, therefore they will not be punished. Jeno, Mark, go get yourselves some food you must be hungry after training. Taeil, Taeyong, it’s time to send in the other soldiers. And remember, not a word of what may or may not happen. That’s an  _ order _ .”

All four of them men present seemed to recoil in on themselves, clearly not used to their prince barking orders at them. Kun wasn’t normally the type to dole out orders, anyways, which was why he understood the looks flickering over their faces. Yet, this was something that needed to be contained with the amount of panic that was already flooding the castle. While it didn’t necessarily please him to keep secrets or give orders to some of his closest friends, it was something that had to be done for the greater good.

The greater good, he thought bitterly. It was something his parents had taught him about quite a bit while growing up, mainly the sacrifices he would have to give for it. They insisted that any great ruler would do so, but sometimes he wondered if just maybe it wasn’t for the greater good, but for selfish reasons. Were they really sacrifices if they just made your job easier in the long run?

“Kun?” Taeil questioned quietly, hand reaching out between the space between them, the space that felt an awful lot like a chasm in the moment. “Are you okay?”

Kun inhaled deeply, brushing off the sticky weird feeling that had coated his body. “I’m fine. Just go out and tell Johnny and Jaehyun it’s time to call it a night, yeah? I’m going to take Jeno and Mark to get some food, they must be starving.” 

Taeil and Taeyong were still peering at him as if he had sprouted a second head, but he ignored it. He swiped his crown off his head, the weight feeling a little too leaden; heavier than usual, maybe not physically but enough that his body felt weighed down. He discarded it on the edge of his bed, the sparkling metal laying rather precariously. Four pairs of eyes settled on it, watching it as if it would leap at them and bite them. The prince couldn’t find it in himself to care about what they thought of his apathy towards the item, and rather than allow them to dwell on it, he gripped Mark and Jeno by the wrists, leading them to the hallway.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Your Highness?” Jeno asked softly, carefully. Always careful, Kun noted. Everyone always approached him with tenderness, with a gentle hand as if he may crack under the pressure if pushed too hard.

And for the first time, as Kun nodded and flashed a bright smile, he wondered if perhaps they were right. 

Kun had never seen snow, but he supposed, if he was to marry someone from the Unseelie court, he would be seeing quite a bit of it shortly.

*

The air in the courtyard was crisp with the approach of winter. It had yet to snow, but it was inconsequential to Prince Ten, as no matter the weather or condition, he would start every day in the courtyard. Every morning, he woke up, took part of breakfast with his parents and siblings, then joined his closest confidants in training then making mischief. While of course adhering to a strict schedule got boring quickly, in his land there was always so much occurring that he hardly ever had time to find boredom. 

Except, he was getting a little tired of Sicheng and Yuta knocking him on his ass. The brash guards’ skill set was higher than his own, so it was only expected for his friends to catch him off guard and best him in their scrimmages. It hardly ever bothered him, but with the turn of the season the ground was  _ hard  _ every time his body met it. 

Doyoung and Jungwoo hovered on the sidelines, the taller of the two leaning on his sword with the self assured carelessness that he always did. Meanwhile, Doyoung was watching them with appraising eyes, spine straight, chin raised. It was these mannerisms that had caused Ten to laugh when a foreigner had visited and assumed that Doyoung was one of the royal family. Ten could hardly blame them; Doyoung walked a precarious line between soldier and courtier. Often, the prince found himself wondering which side of the line his friend would eventually choose.

“Okay, enough,” Ten gritted out from where he was sprawled on the ground. Sicheng peered down at him, dark locks nearly obscuring his eyes. Most of the group was succumbing to unruly locks, their hair growing a little longer than normal. Ten supposed that had something to do with the fact that Joohyun hadn’t been around enough to dote on them for it. 

Sicheng’s fingers had brushed Ten’s own to help him to a standing position when everyone in the courtyard seemingly froze, the air even becoming still. Ten didn’t have to turn to know the cause of it. He pulled himself back onto his feet while Sicheng peered over his shoulder, Yuta following the same gaze. Ten took the time to brush himself off, although there was a distinct lack of dirt on him from the ground being frozen, then turned to greet Joohyun and the two court members trailing her.

Na Jaemin and Lee Donghyuck didn’t look terribly guilty over the fact that they guided Joohyun to where Ten and his friends beat each other black and blue everyday, and he couldn’t blame them for it. He figured his youngest brother kept the two occupied enough that he wouldn’t have to worry about them spilling secrets, but the thought of Joohyun coaxing the truth out of them was believable enough. His eldest sister was hard to say no to. 

“Yongqin,” she said and her voice was like silver spun in the cold air. She was the only person he allowed to call him by his given name. “I figured that you would be here, but I don’t know my way around your hideout well enough. I asked Jaemin and Donghyuck to bring me, but I assure you they were rather displeased when I dragged them away from Renjun.”

Ten’s smile was wicked. “Shocking how our Renjunnie has grown up enough to enchant two of our finest in training for the Guard.”

Joohyun’s ruby lips tilted up just slightly; the closest to a smile she would get in front of so many prying eyes. Ten’s shoulders nearly slumped forward at the expression. It always pained him to watch his sister when she was in public, watch the way she would become a shell of her true self. The eldest always had the most responsibility, their parents had always said, but sometimes Ten wished that his sister would allow him and his twin to shoulder some of that responsibility.

“Why were you looking for me?” Ten asked, taking a few shuffling steps towards the princess. Her eyes darted around, taking in the men standing around them. Ten understood her precautions enough to wave his friends off, telling them that he would meet them for lunch. The siblings watched them walk back inside the castle, disappearing beyond bushes dusted with frost. “So, will you tell me now what you’ve hunted me down for?”

In the privacy of the garden, with only the glimmering frost and her brother to see, Joohyun’s body sagged. Her eyes flashed with something unrecognizable to Ten, something he had never truly seen there. From the folds of her dress, she revealed a crumpled letter and handed it over to him, her lips turning down enough to be considered a frown. 

Ten’s eyes danced over the lines of words, drinking in the contents of the letter. His fingers were shaking uselessly once he had finished, the paper hanging limply from them. 

“We’ve lost that many people? And the Seelie’s have lost  _ more _ ?” He insisted in a wavering voice, allowing his sister to take back the letter. 

“It seems,” she said with a sigh that betrayed just how tired she was, “that the war is taking a turn for the worst. And it seems that, in result, the Seelie court has been trying to reach out to make negotiations before the witches can do so.”

Ten’s face scrunched up. “The Seelie court wants to align with us?”

“In more or less words, yes.” Joohyun’s voice was level, but her eyebrows were knit together and her hands were worrying over the creases in the paper. “Through marriage, from what I’ve gathered. Likely, it will be you, Sooyoung, or one of the Terror’s. I thought you should hear it from me, rather than one of your courtiers or our parents.”

“Who’s most likely to be betrothed then?” Ten asked, despite the heavy feeling in his stomach that gave him all the answer he needed.

“Our parents seem to believe you may be the best candidate. You’re brilliant, handsome, knowledgeable in politics and combat, and you have the best legion out of all of us.” Joohyun spoke softly enough that it didn’t feel like a prison sentence, a set of shackles winding its way around his soul and heart. Not shackles, a mere string binding him to a fate he had not necessarily predicted for himself. “Nothing is set in stone yet. Nothing’s to be taken from you just yet, Yongqin.” 

“Yet,” Ten reminded her gently, taking her pale hands into his own. The lack of color in her skin was disconcerting and Ten tried to remember the last time he had seen his sister leave the castle grounds for anything other than a party or political gathering. “Truthfully, Bambam and Lisa and Joy are nowhere near ready for that level of responsibility and power. I think we both know that it’ll be me.”   
  


Joohyun pressed her lips together in a firm line to hide the fact that they were quivering. “I don’t want them to take you away from me,” she spat the truth out, but there was nothing bitter about it. Her words merely carried the weight of a sister wanting to keep one good thing for herself, her one comfort in arm’s reach. 

“No one can take me away from you, Hyunnie,” he promised her, squeezing her hands once before dropping them. He hooked their arms together, leading her back towards the castle; his home, that he may have to depart with shortly. The thought caused a sharp stab of pain to go through his heart, but he dismissed it at the sight of his friends waiting patiently at the door. Joohyun’s personal guards waited beside them and seemed none too happy that their princess had dismissed them for her conversation with her brother. 

Ten bowed to the guards, a smile gracing his features. “She’s yours once more. Take care of her for me.” He then turned to his sister and brushed his hand over her shoulder as he said, “I will see you and the others at dinner. I hope you can manage not to work yourself into the ground.”

“Lunch in your suite?” Jungwoo asked, his eyes wide with hope. Ten tried his hardest to contain his laughter, although it seemed that Jungwoo had the most insatiable hunger out of all of them. The only one who rivaled his hunger was Weiqin, who waited for them in Ten’s chambers.

The large feline with her sleek black coat lounged on a chaise, licking languidly at her paws. At the sound of the soldiers and prince entering, she lifted her head, peering at them with near apathy. Ten scratched behind her ear and a purr emitted from the panther, her head nuzzling against his hand. Her head was just slightly bigger than his own hand, and while his friends refused to believe it, she had been the runt out of her siblings.

Yuta practically threw himself on Weiqin, nuzzling his face into her side. The panther hardly seemed bothered, rather she seemed as if she was preening at the attention being bestowed upon her. Ten shook his head, chuckling at her. Deadly on a battlefield and a mere cuddling partner when in the confines of the castle. 

“Remember when you used to be terrified of Weiwei, Yuta?” Ten teased his friend as he finally took a seat at his table. Food had already been laid out for them, according to the schedule they almost always abided by. 

“To be fair, when she was just a cub she had a tendency to draw blood.” Doyoung pointed out as he fell into the seat across fromTen. Weiqin sent Doyoung a look that entailed she was rather displeased by what Doyoung’s initial thoughts on her had been. The soldier and the panther locked eyes for an entire half minute until Weiwei huffed and settled her head on her paw. Doyoung, as they had learned, was the only one that had beaten her in a staring contest.

“She doesn’t do that  _ anymore _ !” Yuta retorted, digging into the meal that the servants had prepped just for them. It was a good spread of several different foods they enjoyed, as well as tea and melted chocolate to warm them up from the low temperatures outside. While the rest of them fell into idle chit chat, Ten noted that Sicheng was quieter than usual. 

Not to say that Sicheng wasn’t normally quiet and he always had been, even when they were kids. Ten prepared to ask if there was something bothering him, when finally, Sicheng spoke up.

“The first snowfall of the season,” he announced, rising from his chair to pace across the room. He stopped at the wide window that looked out upon Kunhang’s garden, the one that the younger prince cared for as best as he could despite the fact it could only truly be nurtured during the summer. At this time of the year, the flowers were already drooping if not already taken over by frost.

The others crowded around Sicheng, looking out with him. The snow fell slowly enough that Ten knew if he looked hard enough he would be able to distinguish the differences between each snowflake. The snow was not yet heavy enough to blanket the castle grounds, but by the next morning, Ten knew there would be at least a couple inches coating their lands. 

He wondered if they had snow in the Seelie court and if the prince, the only heir to the throne, would even be willing to give the Unseelie court enough of a chance. Ten found this thought hurt his heart and looked away from the snow, to his friends. 

He swore he could see the snow sparkling in their eyes. 


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Destiny weaves a tangled web.

As dawn broke over Kortrana, the capital city of the Seelie court, Prince Kun found himself kneeling in the temple of Elios, God of not only the Land but Destiny. Kun thought perhaps if anyone could give him any semblance of guidance, it would be Elios. Destiny was something that Kun had long since stopped relying on, finding it a fabricated excuse for many to use when they wanted to make a damning decision. Yet, maybe the threads of Destiny were more than a mere myth and now they were twining his Destiny in a different direction than he had suspected it to go. 

Kun truthfully couldn’t remember the last time that he had been in any of the temple’s amongst Kortrana, having spent most of his past few years on the castle grounds ever since the war had gotten deadlier and bloodier. During the darkest hours of the morning though, Kun had dragged himself out of bed and seeked out Johnny and Jaehyun to escort him to the temple. He had some thinking and praying to do before he was forced to greet the harsh reality of what was to be done about the rising numbers of dead Fae. 

Johnny and Jaehyun hadn’t asked questions, thankfully. Kun supposed this most likely had something to do with the fact that although Taeyong and Taeil had sworn not to tell anyone, the soldiers didn’t exactly fall under the category of “anyone”. 

As the sun began to stretch over the golden marble of the temple, the walls began to shimmer, momentarily blinding Kun and bringing him back to the present. He couldn’t recall how long he had been kneeling there, but his knees screamed in protest as he pushed himself to his feet. Jaehyun rushed forward to grip Kun’s arm and help him stand, despite the fact that the prince hadn’t wobbled in the slightest.

“We should probably head back to the castle now,” Kun said, the words sandpaper against his throat. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what was waiting for him beyond the castle walls, what Destiny had finally been weaved in firmly knitted golden threads. 

“Are you ready to go back?” Johnny asked carefully, his eyes boring a hole through the side of Kun’s head. For a soldier, a man who was soon to be sent off to war if the whispers that filled the holes of the corridors were any indication, he was all too perceptive. Kun sometimes wondered what kind of man his friend would be if he hadn’t been forced into the Guard, a sword shoved into his hand, at the ripe age of thirteen. 

Kun’s smile was grounded on a shaky foundation. “Let’s head back now.” 

Neither Jaehyun or Johnny could question that, since the words had been stringed together in an order. An order given to them by their crown prince, something they couldn’t decline or question, despite the stiffness in their limbs and harshness of their lips as they exited the temple together. 

Unshockingly, Taeyong and Taeil were waiting outside of the arching doorway of the temple. Taeil’s face was folded into a gentle, greeting smile, while Taeyong’s lips were twisted in a frown, his eyes darting around the immediate area. Kun bit his lip to contain the laughter bubbling deep inside him at Taeyong’s expression. For all the time that Kun spent in the castle, he was sure that Taeyong spent just as much, if not even more time, confined inside those walls. 

Johnny’s hand slid across the back of Taeyong’s neck and the blue-haired Fae’s face flickered, a content expression slipping over it. Sometimes, it was hard for Kun to wrap his head around the way that Johnny managed to ground Taeyong, how the courtier seemingly glowed in the presence of the Lieutenant. When looking at Johnny and Taeyong, Kun wondered how outsiders could tell who was the royal advisor and who was the soldier. Johnny emanated warmth and comfort, while Taeyong was all sharp edges like the swords his lover wielded. 

“Is there something wrong?” Jaehyun asked in lieu of greeting. Kun supposed his group was never one to beat around the bush, and of course this was no different.

Taeil nearly pouted, his eyes shooting daggers at Jaehyun. “We can’t come meet our friends for breakfast?” 

“I didn’t say that,” Jaehyun responded with an eye roll that was so small, Kun might have missed it if he hadn’t known the soldier so well. 

“Play nice, kids,” Johnny chastised them, his hand having slipped down to Taeyong’s in the time that they had all been distracted. “We can have breakfast at the castle. Kun can’t stay out for too long, especially not with the news breaking in the city today.”

Taeyong’s content expression slipped back into a pained grimace. “They’re releasing the news to the public today?”

Johnny nodded solemnly and added, “The families are being informed today as well. Some of my men will be delivering the information to the households of the fallen soldiers.”

Kun’s heart strings tugged painfully. He couldn’t imagine how Johnny was feeling if Kun was queasy at the thought of his subjects passing; these men were more than subjects for Johnny, some he might have even trained with. The prince’s stomach turned violently at the realization that if Johnny and his men were sent to the battle field, then one day when the list of names arrived to the castle Johnny or any of Kun’s friends may be hidden among those names. It was a sucker punch to the stomach, the horrific future where Johnny could lose his life before hardly even beginning it. 

“Your Highness, we’ll be escorting you back to the palace now.” Jaehyun’s dimples disappeared and his face resembled more of a grimace than anything else. The peace that had cocooned them momentarily had metamorphosed into a stillness that crept beneath Kun’s skin. The simple reminder of the tragedy just beyond their lands was enough to sober them into silence the entire walk back to the castle grounds. 

“Have you heard from Sehun lately?” Kun ventured so, so carefully. The mere topic of Johnny’s childhood best friend, the same childhood best friend that had been the reason that Johnny joined the Royal Guard, was a sore one as of late. Ever since the previous summer, when Sehun had been conscripted and was forcibly torn away from Johnny; the one last family member Johnny had managed to hang on to. 

Johnny’s shrug was a little too stiff for it to be as careless as he wanted it to be. “No,” he replied with utmost honesty, as anyone would expect from him. “But I’m sure there just hasn’t been that much time to send letters.”

What he said was valid, it could be very true that Sehun was merely caught up in the workings of war, ensnared in managing and commanding his soldiers. There was another truth that none of them wanted to consider, the truth where Sehun was gone. An emotion heavy enough to strangle Kun tried to settle in his throat, but he swallowed it, keeping in mind the lists that were sent to them regularly. Oh Sehun appeared once in the endless names, and if Kun had his way, he never would.

Taeyong sent Kun a look full of acidity, a look he would have never dared to send his monarch unless the matter concerned Johnny. Kun couldn’t blame his friend for it, not one bit. It had been foolish of the prince to ask about such a sensitive matter, to addle Johnny’s mind with more worries. No one dared to make the situation more strenuous, more tense with any other words the remainder of the trip back. Silence folded over them like a veil, slowly but surely smothering them. 

The arrival back to the castle was a rude awakening. 

If Kun thought the past week had been one of chaos, he was surely wrong. The tizzy the servants were in as they bolted past, cheeks flushed and eyes wide with anticipation, had Kun and his friends freezing in the grand foyer. Whirlwinds of activity such as this were normally reserved for when nobles were visiting or grand parties were being thrown, neither of which were due for a good long time. 

Kun darted through the castle workers, on a hunt for one of his younger courtiers. From all the time they spent slinking through the shadows, casting their eyes and ears where they should not, he knew for certain that they would have at least an inkling of what was happening. The halls were cluttered with bodies and for the first time, Kun wished that his home was at least a little bit more empty, more hollow. 

Mark and Yukhei were clustered together near a balcony pillar, salt tainted wind dancing along their hair. Their faces were tucked together, mouths moving rapidly as they conversed about something privately. Under normal circumstances, Kun would have let the two teenagers be. He would have preferred Chenle or Yangyang to question, since the two seemed to know everything about everyone without ever having an explanation for how they knew, but Mark and Yukhei were just as good. 

“Mark! Yukhei!” Kun hissed, then jerked back at the harshness that had coated their names. He bit his tongue, hard enough to draw blood, letting the crimson liquid soothe over his tongue and the words. He let his spit and the blood wash the poisonous ire away, knowing better than to take out his bad mood on two of his favorite courtiers. “What’s going on?” The question was gentle, a whisper on the wind, carried away to the ocean to ask the waves as well as if they must keep the answers to all mortal questions.

Mark’s cheeks were just as pink as the servants’, his eyes sparkling from either the sun climbing high in the sky or tears. Kun couldn’t discern which was the cause and with his heart stuttering, he decided he didn’t particularly know if he wanted to find the cause. Kun took a shuddering step forward, hands reaching for Mark’s cheeks to cradle them and thumb away the tears like Kun had when Mark would suffer from nightmares. This wasn’t the same though; Mark was grown, and strong, and yet he looked like the ocean wind might topple him over the railing and he would embrace the death with gratefulness.

“Mark,” Jaehyun breathed with a tenderness that stabbed through Kun’s heart. 

“They’re sending you away, Kun,” Yukhei said, voice lilting with something like bone deep exhaustion. The kind of exhaustion a mere 20 year old should not know, and yet, it was there written across Yukhei’s face and posture. “We got word from the frontlines and the Unseelie court at dawn. Witches have invaded Asma, and the Unseelie court has agreed to a marriage. With Kortrana being closer to the invasion than the Unseelie’s… they’re sending you away, Kun.”

The threads of Destiny had indeed been weaved and for a moment, Kun thought he could hear the tinkling laugh of Elios on the wind, but perhaps it was just the sound of something breaking in his chest. 

*

Lisa and BamBam were the strangest case of siblings Ten had ever witnessed. Nevermind the fact that they were twins, because he and Joy were as well, but it didn’t mean they operated together everyday, every moment. Lisa and BamBam were not just twins, Ten had decided some time ago, but one soul divided into two separate bodies. To see one without the other always indicated that there was something amiss, something  _ wrong _ . 

The two had been deemed the Terror’s of the castle for a reason. With their moonlight spun hair, onyx eyes, and weapons concealed beneath predatory smiles, it was no wonder the entire continent feared the Unseelie’s children. The Terror’s were not even the king’s most deadly heirs, and yet, the world knew their names, held their breaths in anticipation at what the two might do once set free. 

They were not apologetic for their lethalness, and no one expected them to be either, which was what made them so utterly terrifying as they stood before the guards that had denied them the right to exit the castle. Ten stood on the opposite side of BamBam, eyes flickering between the Terror’s and the guards, monitoring the twins more for the guards' sake than anything else.

Lisa’s face was carefully blank as she said, “I don’t recall anyone giving you enough power to tell  _ me  _ what to do.”

Her voice was a purr, lulled into a smoky caress that was deceptive enough. For anyone to think she was being kind or patient, they would have to be dim, because that tone of voice meant bloodshed. The mid morning sun reflected in her eyes, for a moment the pools of onyx becoming amber and crimson like the sparks of her magic when she slaughtered enemies. BamBam’s lips spread into a smile, slowly, his teeth shining in a way that reminded Ten of when Weiwei would flash her teeth before crushing wind pipes. 

“Move,” the young prince crooned, “or I will move you.” 

For it was one thing to deny him something, but to deny his twin was certain death. 

The guard who stood before them, clearly the guard in highest authority during this shift, paled. Ten couldn’t blame him, as he knew if he were on the receiving end of the Terror’s annoyance he would not be standing his ground still; he had been trained well enough when to back down from a battle, and he had known from a young age the Terror’s were not to be taken on when they were in a foul mood. 

“The king gave me the order to keep all his kids inside for the time being,” the guard stammered like a fool. A real pity that he had showed his cards, buckled beneath the weight of twin onyx glares, when truthfully they wouldn’t have been able to sniff out his fear otherwise. For all their predatory instincts, the Terror’s senses were dimmer than his own and Joy’s.

“Did he now?” Ten questioned, deciding to step in before the doorway was coated in red and Weiwei got the chance to lap up her favorite treat. The moment he stepped forward, the Terror’s stepped back. The Li siblings did not have to be twins in order to fall into synchronicity, Joohyun had ensured this a long time ago. The five eldest Li’s were bound together irrevocably and their movements, their ability to communicate silently, proved it. 

The guard hurried into a trembling bow. “Yes, Your Highness. His Majesty instructed me to keep his children and their courtiers within the castle grounds until instructed otherwise. My apologies for putting you or your siblings in a foul mood.” 

“No apologies needed,” Ten drawled slowly, lazily, in no hurry to quell this guard’s fears. Joohyun would berate him later for it, if the report was given back to her. “We’ll speak to our father ourselves, thank you for informing us.”

Ten turned to leave, finding there wasn’t much else to say to the quivering man. The Terror’s gave him the parting gift of twin smiles, haunting and promising. They didn’t linger, though Ten was sure they wanted to, and followed their older brother instead as Ten began his stroll towards the throne room, where he hoped the king was. 

“Where’s Joy?” Ten asked the Terror’s, his tone bordering on bored. Only himself and Joohyun knew of the true reason behind why exactly the royal heirs were being caged inside their castle, and he hoped that his twin hadn’t begun snooping to discover why. The last thing he needed was his twin sister breathing down his neck, insisting that she be the one to be married off instead. Self-sacrificing brat. 

“How should we know?” BamBam replied, the warrior exterior melting away to reveal what he always was around Ten, a whiny little brother. “It’s so strange, how little you two see of each other.” 

“We like it that way,” Ten retorted, as he always did when Lisa or BamBam questioned how him and Joy could go about their lives without feeling the need to be attached to one another’s hips. “Renjun and Hendery?” Using their siblings chosen names in the crowded corridors was second nature, their birth names reserved for private conversations; not that Lisa or BamBam allowed even their own family to refer to them by their birth names without drawing blood. 

“Probably with their play things,” Lisa droned, clearly uninterested. Ten had no doubt that she had been anticipating slipping from the castle with her brother to drill her legion into tears, to watch grown men beneath her command beg her for a break. Lisa was peculiar in the way that she’d watch with shining eyes then apologize for it later, insisting she had to know to what extent was their breaking point. She wasn’t cruel, and neither was BamBam, not by any means. The Unseelie were just created differently, presided over by different gods than most.

“You’re dismissed.”

Nothing more had to be said in order for the Terror’s to disappear, off to do whatever it was they did when confined to their home. Ten didn’t need any witnesses, let alone his baby siblings, for what he was about to discuss with his father. He slid into the throne room, silent as a wraith. Shoulders back, chin up, the eldest prince approached his father, a gleaming smile on his face.

This was not a smile to be trusted.

Ten fell to his knees in the way a son should do when bowing to his monarchy father, until his father commanded him to rise. So far, the interaction was normal. Ten didn’t often visit his father outside of meals, but when he did, this was the game they played. Always the same, always a bit wary and hesitant. He adored his father to no end, but once he had aged into an adult, the connection had frayed becoming thin and taut. 

“What do I owe this delightfully visit to?” The king asked, head tilted as he drank in his son. Ten was his eldest son, the next in line for the throne if Death were to claim Joohyun prematurely. Not that Ten had any express interest in ruling, not that anyone in the castle would prefer Ten over Joohyun. The eldest daughter was bred for politics and the eldest son was bred for war, that much was clear. 

“Did something happen?” Ten questioned, keeping his voice painfully flat. He was not a son with his father, he was the prince asking his king if danger was on the front and if he would be needed to protect the castle, protect the royal family even if he was a part of it.

Sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows of the throne room, painting the king in crimson and emerald and sapphire. For a moment, the king looked like he too was made of glass, easy to shatter, easy to overthrow. “The Terror’s are rather displeased that they’re being confined. I think we both know they are more wild than tame, they won’t last long being contained to walls before they tear the castle down with their bare hands.”

“Was it not so long ago that you would have done the same, son?”

Ten bristled at the question briefly before questioning it, turning it over in his mind, wondering if there was any ill intent behind it. It was not unlike his father in the past year or so to get in small jabs, to make Ten reconsider himself and his standing in not only the kingdom but the family. For a moment, Ten’s footing in that standing slipped, but he quickly regained it, became the prince, the warrior, the Unseelie Fae that not only his country but the entire continent feared. 

Slowly, with the amount of care and specificity he often used on Jaemin and Donghyuck to keep them at bay, Ten said, “Your children know how to handle themselves and the most important one never leaves the grounds anyways.”

Ten did not bow once more before turning and exiting the throne room, holding his breath for so long that his lungs trembled perhaps wondering if the body they served had forgotten how to command them. He didn’t dare to breathe again until he was corridors and corridors away from the throne room, away from his father. Away from the man he had not seen the same since that sticky summer night, that fight that had torn the ground away from Ten piece by piece leaving him to lay in a gaping chasm of his mind for months until he could piece the world and his mind back together.

“Ten.” The purr of his name, the stroke of a soft hand down his spine was oddly welcomed despite the person delivering it to him. Doyoung was shockingly void of weapons, chin raised high as usual, but his obsidian eyes searching over Ten. Not with greed, never with greed. Ten couldn’t even remember the last time Doyoung had found a lover to devour whole, an innocent victim to Doyoung’s voracious appetite for holding hearts in his hands.

“Yes, Doyoung?” Ten could hear the weariness in his voice and knew it was foolish of him not to hide it. Yet, he couldn’t find it in himself to hide it, not with Doyoung. Doyoung, one of his closest friends, the man who had once been a child that would follow Ten everywhere he went, a wooden sword gripped in his hand as if it could cut through a witch if it dared to try to touch his prince. Because he was Doyoung’s prince, as Doyoung had claimed before not only their own court but foreign courts, teeth flashing with a concealed threat as he did so. 

  
Ten was not just the Unseelie’s, but Doyoung’s and the rest of his court. He belonged to them, and he did not resent it no matter how much his soul turned and writhed at the thought of being confined. And as much as he was the court’s, the court was  _ his _ . They knew what it was, what it meant to swear their loyalty to the prince rather than the king, but they did it with such bravery and such honor that Ten could give them this much at least. He could let them choose who they would serve, who they would protect in battle. 

Treason, some would say, but Jungwoo would grin with crimson lips, crimson teeth, a bedroom laugh forming behind those teeth, as he claimed there was one crown he would serve in his life and it would not be Ten’s father. 

“We were wondering where you had wandered off to,” Doyoung said and there were no lingering implications because that’s how it was with him.

Doyoung was straight forward, blunt to others, but to Ten painfully honest. His words belied exactly what he meant; his court had been wondering where their prince had disappeared off to instead of meeting them for their daily spars, and Doyoung had clearly been the one to offer to find him. “Ellia said she saw you leaving the throne room.”

It wasn’t a question, not really. More so a prompt, an invitation to speak about what was so clearly gnawing on Ten. Perhaps Ten would have been more than willing to spill that he had gone to see his father not for his sake, but for the Terror’s, to take part in their daily dance where they tried so hard to remember what they had once been. It was not so easy, Ten wanted to say, to bare a weight he would never curse anyone else to deal with. He didn’t say any of this, though, as he rounded a corner and found his twin sister dripping with gore and blood, being held up by a seething Jungwoo.

Ten tilted his head, as if assessing the situation. Doyoung did the same, his head tilt slightly more lethal, his twitching fingers not from fear but the urge to grab his dagger, to hurl it at whatever target they may face.

Sooyoung, Joy to the world but just Sooyoung to Ten; just his little sister, not the Scarlet Witch other courts whispered of. No, this was not that warrior, this was not a princess, but a sister in a hallway, being held up by her brother’s friend; a sister’s pleading stare. So Ten was not a warrior, he was not a prince or the Prince of Darkness, he was the brother Sooyoung needed. 

Ten gripped his sister’s elbows, allowing her to lean her weight into him if need be. He couldn’t tell if the blood came from her or not, and with a tumble of his stomach, he realized that he didn’t want to know. His eyes flickered to Jungwoo, nonetheless, and the tangerine haired boy ducked his head in confirmation. Sooyoung was okay, despite the uncontrollable shaking of her long limbs, the pallor state of her skin and the glossiness forming over her eyes. 

“Joy,” Ten said quietly but not without strength. The Scarlet Witch, Li Sooyoung, brought her gaze upon her brother and barked out a miserable laugh that could have left lesser men crawling for her feet. Ten, Doyoung, and Jungwoo were not those men, and they had grown up with Sooyoung, seen her at her worst (swinging for their step-mother, yowling like a wild animal, pale arms dripping with blood of all colors). 

Blood, both silver and crimson, dripped from Sooyoung’s mouth as she grinned, and it was a joyless cruel thing, a smile of the Scarlet Witch. “It seems,” she said, with no amount of kindness, just pure bitterness. “A witch thought it might be a good idea to tangle with me. And when I went to tell Mother, to tell her I had truly actually killed for her, I overheard her speak with her handmaiden. She said you were to be married to a Seelie prince, that the Seelie prince was coming here for  _ refuge _ .”

She paused then, her eyes hovering over Ten’s shoulder, not distant but taking in who might be able to overhear them. Sooyoung’s hand gripped her favorite sword (Widow Maker) tighter, and for one moment Ten’s heart stuttered, wondering if his sister might be cruel enough to kill Jungwoo and Doyoung to ensure their silence.

“Sooyoung,” Doyoung urged, and it was enough for the princess to grin once more, her blood coated hands to find Ten’s face.

“The Seelie prince and his court are headed for our land, brother,” she hissed, with vigor, with urgency. “Because a host of witches have invaded the Fae lands. And the witch I killed, I did not meet her in our city. I met her in our castle, a  _ cook _ .” She paused and laughed, the vicious sound echoing off the walls, too close to a growl to be comfortable. “You may thank me later for killing the witch who had a vendetta against  _ you _ , brother. The witch I caught sneaking into  _ your  _ room.” She tilted her head, nails pressing into Ten’s suddenly too soft flesh. “And yet, your soon-to-be betrothed believes he will find refuge here.”

“No, not here he won’t,” Jungwoo agreed, shockingly somber for once. “Not in the Unseelie court, where monsters lurk not beneath beds but  _ in _ your beds, in your courts.”

Ten gripped his sister’s wrists, took a moment to feel her pulse, ensure she was alive before strolling past her. He contemplated their words, the implications of the day’s events. The Seelie prince was to be married to a  _ family _ of monsters if the engagement held true, and somehow, this thought brought a smile to Ten’s face.

At least, for once, Hendery and Renjun would have someone like them in the castle; someone with a soul, a heart, a hope for a better world. Most members of the court, Ten included, had lost those hopes a very long time ago. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> helloooo! i hope this chapter gives you a little more insight on how the workings of the courts are and the relationships between some of the characters. but i do know that this world can be confusing because there is a lot going on it, so feel free to leave any questions or concerns you have in the comments or my cc and i will try my hardest to answer them if they're not detrimental to the plot!
> 
> if you wanna talk or hang out here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) and [curious cat](https://t.co/0W7CyOjNRV?amp=1)


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two princes meet in the moonlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pronunciation guide for you guys!
> 
> Eplyae = Ee-plye-ee  
> Xinir = Zee-ner

The trip to the Unseelie’s capital city, Eplyae, ended up being harder on Kun than he had originally hoped it to be. There was the matter of the fact that the entire process was rushed in an attempt to get the crown prince away from the border as soon as possible, away from any potential threats. It didn’t help that Kun had spent hours in council with his parents, pleading until his throat had gone raw, demanding for his closest friends to come with him. He was lucky, so very lucky that his parents had taken his threats seriously; namely the threat where he refused to go unless his friends and courtiers could go with him.

And so it went, his favorite court members, friends, and soldiers were forced to pack their things, to rearrange their lives in order to escort their crown prince. Kun supposed he should have felt bad, but he couldn’t really. Not when he knew that they would be much safer with him, not when he knew that his mother had promised him that the Unseelie court’s castle was a fortress, built exactly for events such as this. The Seelie court’s castle paled in comparison; it was built for aesthetic and the unbearable summers. 

Johnny and Taeyong were of the few that were selected to travel with Kun and then accompany him during his stay with the Unseelie’s. Kun was still trying to work out if Taeyong was grateful or upset that Johnny was no longer at risk of being on the front lines, being torn away from his life’s work. Kun found that he was too afraid to ask Taeyong how he felt about the matter, and rather, he avoided his close friend. There was no use causing fights when they were going to be in tight quarters for weeks.

Kun preferred to spend his time with the younger’s, namely Jisung, Chenle, and Yangyang. Their affinity for mischief was the only thing keeping Kun in good spirits during the travels. Jeno, Mark, and Yukhei had, shockingly, become dreadfully quiet. They kept to themselves, only speaking amongst themselves. Kun had even gone as far as asking Jaehyun if they had at least spoken to him or Johnny, and the soldier had regretfully informed him that they would only communicate with him when necessary.

It was hard on Kun, certainly, but it seemed to be hard on his friend’s as well. He tried his best to put them at ease, but there was not much to be found. Every stop they made for rest came with new rumors and whispers of the witches, and not only them, but the Unseelie too. The very court Kun was being sent off to. Kun tried his best not to listen, would occasionally mutter prayers to Exaris, the God of Sea and Waters, perhaps the only god Kun felt so close with now that he was older. 

Exaris didn’t ever answer, but sometimes in his sleep, Kun could hear the sound of lapping waves and it made him feel a little better. It made him think that maybe Exaris was keeping an eye on him after all. Sometimes he would also think of Exaris’ consort, the Goddess of Fire, Xinir. She seemed like someone the Unseelie Fae would serve, would pray to, and the thought amused Kun enough that sometimes it brought a smile onto his stiff and unsmiling face. It was not often enough that this occurred. 

By the time that they were drawing upon Eplyae, the entire host was on edge. Everyone else had to be due to irritation and lack of sleep, but Kun was teetering with anxiety. He had never been outside of the borders of Kortrana and now that he finally was, it was to meet his  _ betrothed _ . Everytime Kun referred to Prince Ten as that, Taeil would stiffen and in an uncharacteristic show of annoyness he would snap that there was no indication of actual marriage just yet. 

Kun didn’t have the energy to argue with his best friend, not even as the tangled strings of Destiny snagged around the prince’s neck, choking him with finality. 

When Kun and his host finally arrived at the Unseelie’s palace, Kun wasn’t even awake. He had been dozing peacefully on Johnny’s shoulder, hoping to catch a small bout of rest before he was to be shown off all day long. At least, this is what Yangyang told him to expect. As if Yangyang had any court experience whatsoever, except he  _ did _ . His mother had been to many far off courts and did well to teach her son every aspect of every court before she sent him off to live amongst ruthless courtiers. 

Taeyong was the one to wake Kun. 

The blue-haired fae did it with such tenderness Kun couldn’t find it in himself to be irate, especially not when he spotted the obsidian and silver monolith that was the castle of the Unseelie’s. Kun remembered the stories his nannies used to whisper to him about this castle, the ghosts and the wraiths that still lingered due to the fact they had been drawn in by Queen Chungha’s magic; the way that Queen Chungha had welcomed them, given them a home in her residence. Starfire, he had once heard his favorite nanny refer to it, as it coincided with Chungha’s power, and it was still her lasting powers that kept the wards up around the castle grounds.

He was in awe, though perhaps he shouldn’t have been. 

Johnny exited the carriage first and then Taeyong, helped down by his beloved who he rewarded with a chaste kiss to the cheek. Johnny shared a lover’s smile with Taeyong before extending a hand to help his prince down. Kun hesitated and Johnny must have saw it in his face, because the planes of Johnny’s face became softer, sympathetic. Taeyong stepped forward, noticing that Kun had not yet joined them. The royal advisor’s smile was just as sympathetic, but it had a comforting edge to it; Taeyong was pretty and so was this smile, which promised misery for anyone who dare harm Kun. 

This was enough for Kun to take the step out of the carriage, the pale sun momentarily making it hard for him to discern his surroundings. Once his eyes properly adjusted to the light, he was able to take in the courtyard. He didn’t get to observe much before his eyes snagged on the woman that stood at the arching door way. She was surrounded by several royal guards, despite the fact that she was armed to the teeth. 

Her obsidian hair fell in delicate curls around her face, framing her equally as delicate features. Her rosy lips were raised in a half smile and her milky skin was offset by the rouge dress she wore. She was beautiful, even more so than many of the Seelie Fae Kun had come to know in his court. Yet, she was different from them in many ways, first being the fact that she was  _ armed _ . Ladies of the Seelie court never carried weapons with them. Then there was the matter of the look in her dark eyes, the gleam that told them that while she was well trained in court affairs she was equally as trained in warfare.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out who exactly had come to greet the host of Seelie Fae. There was only one person who was highly esteemed enough yet still expendable enough to risk stepping the few feet out of the castle to properly receive their visitors.

Princess Li Irene ducked into a low curtsy and Kun was forced to wonder if she was used to such formalities. He briefly recalled the story of how she had broken a man’s arm for merely stepping on her gown, causing her to trip. There was no sign of that female today, Princess Irene seeming far gentler than the stories painted her. 

“Welcome to Eplyae and Starfire,” Irene purred, her voice quiet but strong. Not the voice of the warrior then, but the voice of a princess soon-to-be queen. “I hope you’ll enjoy your stay. I’m sorry that none of my other siblings could join me. It seems that they had prior obligations.”

Based off the way her dark brows furrowed together, her eyes darkening just slightly, Kun knew it was a lie. Clearly, the other heirs had better things to do than greet the people of their long time enemies. He couldn’t say he blamed them and he knew for a fact that most of his friends would have done the same if the roles were reversed.

“Thank you for your graciousness,” Kun replied as he ducked into a low bow. He didn’t want to be in Eplyae by any means, but he could at least thank his hosts for being kind enough to have them. He had been brought up well enough to know that much.

Irene’s smile became wicked as she said, “Ah, Prince Kun. My brother’s betrothed, I assume.” 

Kun forced himself into complacency in order to avoid wincing. He merely nodded, his smile shaky at best as he agreed with her. Taeil and Taeyong were not all that content with Kun’s response and the two rushed to the princess, both of them thanking her profusely themselves. Her gaze became weary as they continued to talk at her, and for a moment, Kun could have sworn he saw Irene’s hand twitch toward the wicked looking gold dagger at her side. 

Kun narrowed his eyes, but was immediately distracted by the arrival of another member of the court. One of the other princesses, he noticed, by the circlet that rested in her inky hair. She was taller than her sister, limbs longer, but just as graceful. Her gown was a deeper shade of red, slightly more scandalous. Her lips were painted in the same shade and her dark eyes were much harsher, much more judgemental. She didn’t have to play by the same rules as her sister, and she would take that to her advantage in order to intimidate their new guests. 

Again, the princess hardly needed to introduce herself in order for them to know who she was. With Widow Maker strapped to her side and her crimson nails, Kun knew very well that who he faced was Li Joy, known as the Scarlet Witch of Aswa to most. 

Joy’s thin fingers wrapped around her older sister’s arm, pulling Irene close enough that their sides were pressed together. Kun tilted his head, analyzing the movement, wondering at what purpose the princess had for doing so. He could only assume it was protective, meant to give a barrier of protection between her elder sister and the foreigners that were about to invade their home. He didn’t have a sibling, the closest to one being perhaps Yangyang or Mark, but he thought he would probably do the same for them. 

“You must have had a long trip.” Joy did not say this with the same concern as others did, but rather as a fact. She was not playing the same game as Irene, merely laying out her disdain at the very first meeting. In an odd way, Kun had to respect her for it. “You should head inside. Get settled. We can all meet again at dinner, can’t we?”

“Prince Kun should really meet his betrothed first,” Irene protested, but again, it was weary. The princess didn’t seem to care if Kun and her brother’s engagement played out, not by the way she was acting as makeshift buffer. 

“My twin is busy,” Joy said and it seemed that it was the end of that argument, her fingers flexing on the hilt of Widow Maker. 

Legally, she could do absolutely nothing to harm Kun as it would be an act of war. That did not mean that the Scarlet Witch couldn’t have her fun with Kun’s court members, and it was enough to make Kun shuffle in front of Jisung and Chenle. The two trouble makers had been alarmingly quiet during these exchanges, and Kun could only hope it was because they were fascinated with the new city they would be staying in until further notice.

“I suppose they will have to meet tonight after dinner or tomorrow before the welcoming gathering, won’t they?” Irene mused, her lips twisted in a wry smile. Joy nodded her agreement, dark eyes drinking up Kun’s court greedily. Jaehyun and Johnny remained extremely tense on either side of Kun, and he couldn’t blame them.

The rumors had hardly done the Unseelie court enough justice; they were even more terrifying in person. Kun’s power seemed to cower in the presence of these royals, not from their own power, but from the wars and tragedies they had seen. It did not seem to hit Kun until that very moment that for as old as Kun was, some of the Unseelie Fae were older than him by centuries. He couldn’t be sure on the Unseelie’s kings children, but it did nothing to comfort him that Irene and Joy’s stares belied years of wisdom and cruelty. 

“To your rooms then, yes?” Irene didn’t wait for an answer, she merely gestured at nearby servants. Once the servants had hurried over to the court, she hooked arms with her little sister, then turned and guided them towards a garden. Their hair fell in a waterfall of oil slick locks as their heads bowed together to whisper to each other about matters the rest of the world was not privy to. 

Suddenly, the Li family was the last family in the world Kun wished to marry into. 

*

Taeyong and Taeil had opted to stay in Kun’s suites with him, though this was not all that favorable to Johnny. He stared at his beloved with longing eyes, but nodded when Taeyong told him as much, and allowed himself to be ushered from the rooms. Kun stared after the rest of his friends, wishing that they could have all squeezed into his room, remained with him not for his own protection but for  _ theirs _ . 

“Lovely in-laws I’ll be having, right?” Kun grumbled, unable to help how sullen he sounded in the moment. He rested on the edge of his bed, looking at his two oldest friends through his lashes.

Taeil offered a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, lips turned down. “No one said that this would be easy, Kun.”

“They didn’t say it would be this hard, either,” Kun pointed out, but it sounded more like a child complaining. He didn’t want to complain or throw a temper tantrum; he wanted to be the responsible son his parents had raised him to be, but it was hard. It was so hard to be as regal as he was expected to be when the Unseelie Fae made him feel so small. It was also hard, he realized, to be so far from home.

He was not so used to the overcast skies and the heaviness in the air that Yangyang had said meant snow was to fall that night. Even as he had walked to the entrance of the castle, his legs had felt uneasy on the frozen ground, unfamiliar with the unforgiving stone and dirt rather than the soft sand. He had not expected to want to return to his home so quickly when all he wanted for a good while now was to leave that same home, to travel and learn more about his country. 

Maybe this was a part of his country he could have gone without seeing. 

*

Ten supposed he should have felt bad about the fact that he should have been meeting his betrothed, but instead, found himself hiding deep in the castle grounds. The old barracks, perhaps dating all the way back to the very beginning of the Unseelie court, to when Queen Chungha herself may have had armies filling the barracks, was a good enough hiding spot. Ever since he was a teenager, having stumbled upon the beaten down building in the tangles of the deepest corners of the grove, Ten and his friends had been using it as a hiding spot. It wasn’t like their spot they used to train, as that was a hiding spot everyone knew about; no one else in the court was aware of the barracks, couldn’t find them even if they wanted.

For once, Ten had allowed Weiqin to accompany them. She had been restless, pacing the lengths of his room and letting out irritated chuffs, until Ten had relented and allowed her to follow him into the depths of the overgrown grove. His friends were awaiting his arrival when Ten finally reached his destination. Yuta leapt off the bunk he had been lounging on, landing on the floor with such gracefulness Ten would have been jealous if he couldn’t have achieved the same.

“Weiwei!” Yuta crooned, reaching out to scratch right behind Weiqin’s ears. Weiwei flopped onto her side, emitting a loud purr that had Sicheng and Doyoung both rolling their eyes. There was no one else the panther reacted to like that  _ except _ for Yuta, and sometimes it was rather perplexing, how similar they seemed sometimes.

“Won’t your sister kick your ass for this?” Sicheng asked, head cocked just slightly as he peered at his prince. “Ellia said that the Seelie just arrived.” 

Ten couldn’t help but grumble as he fell onto the bed beside Jungwoo, who easily slid an arm around him in support and comfort. “Ellia needs to stop spilling so much information. She’ll be executed one day for it.”

“Ellia was your mother’s best friend, Ten,” Doyoung reminded him sharply, dark eyes flashing with a warning sign that belied the sympathetic angle of his mouth. “She cares about you, very much. You should stop avoiding her so much.” 

Ten raised his chin with a haughtiness he didn’t exactly feel at the moment. Doyoung and him often had conversations concerning this very topic, and every single time the topic was broached, Ten could not help the eternal void of shame that tried to claim him. It would swallow him whole if he allowed it, but he couldn’t. Someone like him, proud and honorable, was not supposed to feel shame. Ellia and his mother, Lu Qing, were the driving force behind the shame. Qing had been dead for years and years, most of Ten’s existence, but the fact that he rarely ever spoke or thought about her was a knife in the side.

“Let’s not talk about that.” Jungwoo’s voice was soft but firm, unyielding. For as much as Jungwoo adored Doyoung, as much as a monster could adore it’s creator, it didn’t necessarily mean that Jungwoo would bow at his feet. Beneath his delicate features, lurked a dark and deadly power that had caused Doyoung and Ten to be so drawn to the sweet boy to begin with. 

“Have a drink, Tennie boy,” Yuta chirped, handing over a crystal glass filled with amber liquid. 

Ten eagerly swiped it from his close friend, lapping up the alcohol with the same ease Weiwei had lapping up blood on battlefields. For a brief moment, Ten was caught wondering when he and Weiqin had last graced a battlement with their unending bloodlust. Ten and his courtiers had a voracious appetite for death, and perhaps this was the part of the reason that he was already resenting his  _ fiance _ . Surely, the prince of the Seelie court could not possibly understand how they were created, the violence they had been brought up on. 

“Maybe he won’t be so bad,” Sicheng offered, as if he could hear Ten’s thoughts echo across the room. They had spent enough years together that they should be able to understand each other’s emotions, their moods, their thoughts, but sometimes it still came as somewhat of a surprise. 

Yuta scoffed, sprawled on the floor beside Weiqin. “He can’t be that great, either though. He’ll be a boring, sheltered brat probably.”   
  


Sicheng nudged the redhead in the side with his toe. “Funny, we say the exact same thing about you.” 

Yuta bared his teeth, his canines seeming to flash in the low lighting of the barrack. There was no heat behind his snarl at Sicheng, there never was; maybe there would have been a promise of blood shed if it had been Doyoung instead, but not Sicheng. Never Sicheng, not when it came to Yuta. It wasn’t love, that much they had been insistent on, but the same was said by Doyoung and Jungwoo. Love wasn’t well known by their kind, loyalty favored over the simpering foolish emotion of a heart. 

Ten drowned out his friend’s bickering by continuing to pour the alcohol down his throat, slumping into Jungwoo’s side. Not once did Jungwoo release Ten, even as the prince began to get drowsy, head ducking into the crook of his courtier’s neck. Circles were rubbed into Ten’s spine, allowing him to relax enough that the aching void inside of him began to minimize. It could have been minutes or hours before Sicheng was daring to pull Ten to his feet, whispering that it was time to return to the castle.

The sun had long since set, the grove bathed in the silver light of the moon. The pale bark of the trees shimmered, as if a subdued glow was emanating from deep within the roots of the tree. Ten had always found the grove to be something special, something  _ magical _ , during the night rather than the daytime. It was so tangible that he could almost taste it, and perhaps he would have stood there all night, soaking in the feeling beneath the moon if it weren’t for Sicheng and Weiqin nudging him forward.

The walk back to the castle always felt longer after an evening of drinking, but for once, it didn’t bother the prince that much.

Ten’s friends finally parted with him when he reached his floor, the others needing to part to handle a drink happy Yuta who was insisting on making a short trip to the kitchen before bed. Ten barked a laugh as he watched Doyoung and Sicheng chase after their lithe friend; Jungwoo lacked the same amount of responsibility and strolled behind them with leisure. He watched his friends depart for a moment, before turning and starting the trek down the hall to his room. Weiwei followed behind closely, her cold nose nudging against the back of his hand as if attempting to guide him the right way to his room.

A shadow further down the hall caught Ten’s attention before his hand could even reach the handle of his door. 

Weiwei followed dutifully, though Ten swore he could have heard her sigh with subdued annoyance. His head angled slightly, scanning the hall for the cause of the shadow he had spotted. It wasn’t often that the castle was lively late into the night; his siblings and the courtiers were the only ones prowling around at this hour, other than the wraiths and ghosts that clung to the older, lower levels of the castle. 

With a jolt, Ten came face to face with a tan but handsome man. The man blinked owlishly, as if confused by the fact that a person had found him in the very open space of the hallway. The window that stood tall and proud at the end of the hall, the very same window the man had previously been peering out of moments before, the moonlight illuminating his features well enough. 

Chestnut hair, similar to Sicheng’s or maybe Yeri's (Joy’s favorite courtier), and dark eyes with rose petal plush lips that were pursing into an O shape from surprise. 

“You shouldn’t be strolling around the castle so late at night,” Ten said with a surprising amount of severity for his blood alcohol level. “There are many things that come alive during the night here, things you don’t want to encounter.” His smile was something of the rumors about him that spread through Aswa. “Things like  _ me _ , sweet boy.”

The man’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, his eyes flickering over to the panther that stood at Ten’s back. “I know. I’ve heard the stories. But my friend said it might snow tonight and I’ve… I’ve never seen snow before. So I just…”

“You wanted to see for yourself,” Ten finished for him. Ten turned to look out the window that the man had previously been peering out of. It was a smaller court yard, perhaps one that Joy and her tittering friends liked to frequent in, based off the benches and empty fountain. “It won’t tonight. The air isn’t cold enough and there’s no forecast for precipitation.”

The man seemed to deflate, disappointment shining clearly in his eyes. “Oh.”

“Don’t fret.” Ten shrugged, dropping his hand to run over Weiwei’s head, who pushed her nose against his palm in thanks. “You must be from the Seelie court if you haven’t seen snow, so if you’re here for as long as I suspect you will be, then you’ll see plenty of snow.” 

“How did you know that I’m part of the Seelie court?” The man questioned, his eyes round with curiosity. Ten bit the soft flesh of his inner lip to contain his laughter, perhaps out right rude and cruel to laugh at something such as the innocence of a highly esteemed Fae. Except, Ten couldn’t help but be amused; it wasn’t often that you found someone of such naivety in Eplyae. It was, truly, refreshing.

“We don’t have people like you in the Unseelie lands,” Ten responded as honestly as he could manage. 

The courtier cocked his head, once more a puppy questioning all that was around him, trying to learn about a world he had been thrust into without much precedent. The prince of the Unseelie court allowed the courtier to look him over, drink in what he will. If things went Ten’s way, then he would not be having to see too much of the Seelie court members and their prince. It all relied on if Ten played his cards right, though, and if he planned not to be around too often he might as well let the courtier get his fill while he still could. 

“Do you carry a sword around with you everywhere you go?” The man asked and the question was so sudden, that for once, Ten found himself taken off guard. 

Ten risked a glance down at the sword that was strapped onto his belt, the smooth and polished pommel. “Do you not do that in Kortrana? You courtiers don’t carry swords with you?”

“Only the soldiers.”

Ten’s eyebrows shot up at that answer, and he wondered if perhaps he should tell the courtier that everyone in the Unseelie court were not only soldiers but  _ warriors.  _ From the moment an Unseelie Fae could walk, gleaming weapons of all shapes and sizes were being given to them to play with, but more importantly, to  _ fight  _ with. It was a wonder, but also not that much of a shock, that the Seelie court didn’t have the same values. They couldn’t exactly afford to have untrained fae traipsing around when the Witching Wars had been waging on for so long.

“Maybe you should learn to become a soldier while you’re in my court,” Ten told the man shortly, deciding that there wasn’t much left to say between the two of them. 

Weiwei let out a small huff as her owner turned, clearly preparing to make the remaining steps left to his bedroom, just a few feet away from that gaping window. The amount of planning and plotting Ten had managed to do in order to land that room, in order to defy his father’s orders that his own son couldn’t possibly be sleeping next to a window that gave such an easy vantage point to the prince’s room. Ten simply had to remind not only his father but everyone in the world that he was not to be taken advantage of, not so easily killed, especially not with Weiqin sleeping at the end of his bed every night.

Ten made no move to say good night or good bye to the man, didn’t even bother warning the man that he could make out the footsteps of some of his courtiers further down the hall. Didn’t bother to inform the man that it was probably Jeonghan and Joshua, or Jongin and Kyungsoo, and that neither pair was one he would want to meet. No, the prince didn’t have anything left to say the silly courtier who thought the moonlight spilling over him like an alarm light would be enough to protect him from the dark shadows of Starfire.

He had nothing left to give the man, especially not when his head and his heart were beginning to hurt. Not from the alcohol, as Ten could keep that down relatively well, but from the fact that his home had been invaded by silly fae who needed him and his family’s protection. From the fact that he was supposed to be wed to one of those bumbling fae and the mere idea that the fae could be similar to the one he had just been conversing with. It was too much for him to handle so late with alcohol flowing through him, so he slipped into his bedroom and as he shut the door behind him, he shut out those thoughts as well. 

*

Kun lost track of how long he stood before that window, gaze glossed over as he stared at the small courtyard bathed in pale lighting. Courtiers, servants, and guards of the Unseelie court would occasionally pass, but they hardly looked at him let alone said anything. Not like the dark haired man of the Unseelie court, who had spoken with such assurance and crudeness. Kun had done well to hide the terror that had rooted itself deep inside him; both at the way the man looked at him like he would be a good snack, and even more so by the way his pet panther had mirrored that gaze.

It was a relief when the two decided to retire to their room and even though Kun knew the man was right, that he should probably head back to his suite, he couldn’t help but stare and stare into the night. 

He’d not even been there for an entire day, and already, he was sick to his stomach. Not homesick, not even nauseated by the different foods and aromas. The knots that had formed all came back to one very important matter: his supposed engagement. He couldn’t help but to wonder if the prince would be anything like his sisters or the courtiers Kun had caught glimpses of. Every smile that had been bestowed upon him by the Unseelie Fae were not smiles of kindness, but spread mouths with warnings written between their teeth.

So Prince Kun watched the darkness and wondered if his betrothed would smile at him with kindness or danger, and if he should worry about being eaten whole before he even made it to his wedding day. He didn’t get a wink of sleep that night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eeek well they finally met i guess?? not completely but close enough y'know. i swear their official meeting should be next chapter. is there any questions you have about the universe, any characters you hope to see more of or learn more about? please let me know!
> 
> also, i've decided there may be a couple cameos from some of my fav characters from a book series, specifically on the witchy side of this series hehe.
> 
> if you wanna talk or hang out here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) and [curious cat](https://t.co/0W7CyOjNRV?amp=1)


	4. IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A soldier bows to Wrath incarnate and his crown.

If Kun had thought Joy and Irene were intense and intimidating, he had not fully prepared himself for the possibility of the Terrors of Eplyae. Li Lisa and Li BamBam were whispered about by countries across the sea, even. With their silver locks, prized and prided upon in the Unseelie due to it being related back to Queen Chungha, and their lethal power, the Terror’s were something to truly behold. Kun had his first unfortunate run in with them the morning of the welcoming gathering.

The two had been prowling the halls, ethereal and deadly, seemingly having little to no interest about the Seelie that now inhabited their home. 

Kun had no real intention of meeting them without any of their siblings or courtiers around to dull the blade that was the twins just a little. He hadn’t anticipated nearly colliding with them on his way to breakfast on his first morning in Starfire, hadn’t actually anticipated speaking to them much at all unless it was for political reasons. Maybe if Taeyong and Taeil hadn’t been in such a hurry to reach the dining room the particular event could have been avoided, but it seemed that once more Elios was having a good laugh at Kun’s expense. 

Kun had been turned to speak over his shoulder at Taeil, who was complaining extensively about just how hungry he was since he hadn’t eaten much at dinner the night before, when he collided with a solid wall of flesh and bones and pure muscle. Hands gripped Kun’s shoulders, that suddenly felt too frail and thin, too  _ breakable _ beneath the hands of who was holding him. His entire body felt frozen, his very bones icicles that could pierce his flesh if he were to make the wrong move, as he raised his head to look at who he had accidentally assaulted with his carelessness.

His breath caught in his throat, threatening to strangle him with terror. 

Li Lisa and Li BamBam wore near identical grins; less an act of amusement or happiness, leaning more towards the baring of teeth. Kun hadn’t had the honor of speaking to the two the night before, seeing as they had been so entwined in conversation between themselves, but if he was being honest with himself he wasn’t sure he was brave enough to spark a conversation with them anyways. When he had observed them at dinner, they’d seemed less like actual people but closer to predatory animals that had taught themselves civility well enough to be released from their cage. 

“Good morning, Your Highness,” Lisa purred, her tongue darting out to run over her lips, as if she could smell Kun’s fear and was prepared to salivate over it. 

Kun’s tongue felt too heavy in his mouth, much too heavy to try to find a proper response for perhaps the deadliest princess he had ever encountered. He bit his tongue, allowing his royal advisors to do what they did best: schmooze royals who didn’t necessarily deserve his friend’s time of day, because no matter their status they tended to be terrible people. He could make out the slightest drone of words through the buzzing in his mind that had seemed to take permanent residence in his brain since the moment he had stepped foot in Starfire. Lisa and BamBam looked as if they could have been apart of Queen Chungha’s first court and with the way the dull morning light shimmered in their hair and on their pale skin, he could have mistaken them for ghosts of the past. 

Kun briefly wondered what powers they possessed, if it could be on the same level as starfire or moonfire just like their ancestor. Out of all the rumors that shrouded the Li children, he’d actually never recalled whispers of what their powers pertained to and just how much they each possessed. Kun supposed that didn’t matter so much when they were trained warriors from birth. He also supposed that the Unseelie king kept their powers under lock and key for a reason; to prevent their enemies from discovering how to use those same powers against them. The mystery that shrouded the Unseelie and their court was perhaps one of their most powerful weapons of all. 

“Would you allow us to walk you to breakfast, Your Highness?” BamBam asked, the seductive purr that tinged his voice seeming to be a second nature to him, something he couldn’t help as much as he couldn’t help the lethalness that accompanied his every move. 

Kun couldn’t manage words, sludge coating his throat and his tongue, weighing it down too heavily for syllables and constenants to pass. He could feel Taeyong and Taeil’s gazes on him, even heavier than the weight of his tongue inside his mouth. Always watching. Kun was always being watched by someone, whether it be for protection or in the hopes that he would slip up, creating a problem for the Seelie. 

Kun’s body took on the weight of the world as he followed behind the twin blades of Eplyae, ready to cut down anyone in their way. 

*

Ten could sense their presence before he could see them, that brush of iciness that slithered down his spine and the darkness that curled around his ankles in a playful greeting. They could have snuck up on him if they had truly wanted to, but for once they spared him, no doubt feeling a bit more generous than usual due to the fact they had others to torment for once. Ten’s lips twitched up slightly as he turned to greet the troublemakers who had sought him out. 

Na Jaemin and Lee Donghyuck had been trained by the best and it showed in their every move, the gracefulness of a predator that had ensnared it’s prey into thinking that it was safe. Similar to his siblings, the Terrors, they had gleaming hair of silver, the exact shade of the blades hanging from their waists, lying in wait for when they would need to be used. 

“What do you want?” Ten questioned, straight to the point as you had to be with the Laminae, the twin blades of Eplyae. Donghyuck and Jaemin were young in terms of the fae, beneath a century old, but had quickly risen in the ranks. Not by nepotism, no, but by pure tooth and nail clawing their way to the top. Warriors, assassins, courtiers, but most of all, sworn defenders of Prince Renjun, the youngest prince of the Unseelie. 

The Twin Blades or the Twin Wolves, it didn’t matter what they were called, they were still just as deadly as the royals of the court.

“We can’t seek you out just to say hello?” Donghyuck’s voice was a mockery of a purr. His eyes, that matched his hair down to the very shade, flickered with something that might have been mischief but could have just as easily been the promise of death. It was hard to tell, when it came to the Laminae, if they were being playful or threatening. 

“No,” Ten replied rather flatly, making sure that his stare managed to indicate that he had little to no patience for their tricks.

Jaemin took a step forward, younger but infinitely more responsible than his opposite. “I thought you would want to know about the fact that some of the Seelie court members are snooping around. Poking their noses where they don't belong.”

Jaemin’s fingers flexed on his sword, Quicksilver, as he explained the predicament. It must have taken a lot out of the two to not handle the court members themselves, for them to realize that their current situation went beyond the whims of what the young fae wanted. 

Ten’s blood chilled at the fact that there were unknown fae, looking for things that were better left forgotten. The castle was old, older even than the Seelie’s; Sunburst had been rebuilt twice now, and he couldn’t help but find it amusing, how quickly the Seelie’s fancies faded. He briefly wondered what their first Queen, Queen Sunmi, might find of the fact that her beautiful home had been torn apart and reborn just mere centuries ago. He suspected the sun blazed hotter, harder, on the day the first wall crumbled; punishment for insolence, for destroying what she had worked so hard to build. 

The Unseelie court would never disrespect their first queen by damaging Starfire. They had added onto it to accommodate their needs, but not once had they intentionally torn apart or damaged what she had built. The old barracks that survived, where Ten hid away when he needed a breath, was evidence enough of that. The Seelie would have gladly demolished it, turned it into something pretty and useless; just like their royalty, Ten couldn’t help but think a bit bitterly. 

“Would you like to handle them or should we?” Jaemin asked after the silence began to turn suffocating. Where Donghyuck’s eyes were the smoldering gray of a cloud that belied a snow storm, Jaemin’s were the sky before nightfall, gold lingering along the edges. 

Ten’s grin could have been described as feral. “Do your worst but make sure to keep it quiet, I wouldn’t want the Crown Prince to be uncomfortable with our practices.”

Jaemin and Donghyuck’s answering grins were just as feral, the promise of blood spill hidden in those mouths and eyes. 

*

Lee Jeno had not meant to wander into parts of the castle that were not his business, but he simply couldn’t help the boredom that had grown deep inside him. Ever since he was young, he had spent his days beneath the blistering sun with a sword in his hand, training to become even half as good as Johnny or Jaehyun. In Eplyae, he was given no such chance to work off any restlessness that seemed to have seized him since the moment he was born. The first day he had managed well enough, keeping himself distracted by accompanying Yangyang in his antics to harass the servants.

By the second day though, he couldn’t help the way his body nearly vibrated, needing a release of energy. The urge to do  _ something _ had consumed him to the point that he had left his quarters, not bothering to pass on the message to Mark or Jaehyun, his best friend and direct commander. No, if he wasted another moment just sitting he would surely combust and he would never get the chance to be a soldier like Jaehyun. Without much thought to his wellbeing or the trouble he may cause, Jeno slipped into the shadows like Chenle and Yangyang had taught him, slithering away to find something to entertain himself.

He had found himself in the deepest heart of Starfire, searching for something he didn’t know, but something that called to him anyways. He had found himself in a never ending hallway when the shadows shifted, which was not so unusual with the lack of sunlight in the depths of these halls. Yet, the hairs on Jeno’s arms rose and he found himself freezing, becoming still enough that whatever wraith may be passing through would ignore him.

Jeno thought it had passed, that perhaps, the hall wasn’t so dangerous but nonetheless he should return to the upper levels and seek out his friends. He didn’t take so much as one step when the icy fingers curled around the back of his neck, pulse hammering beneath the iron grip. Jeno’s hand immediately shot for the sword he always kept at his side, but another freezing grip found purchase at his wrists, rendering him useless despite all his training.

The shadows warped and began to fade, revealing Wrath incarnate. 

He didn’t know their names, didn’t want to know their names, and yet Jeno still could easily identify them as the Laminae of Eplyae, assassins and warriors bound to Prince Renjun and Prince Renjun only. Not only by the swords at their side, Quicksilver and Moonfire, but by the marks on their pale wrists: interwoven crescent moons, the mark of those bound to an Unseelie royal. 

One could shift into a wolf and burned with moonfire so bright and searing it had taken out entire legions, and the other was brimming with ice and the ability to warp realities. Jeno wondered why he had only been gifted with advanced senses and nothing special like his court members, because without the raw power these warriors possessed, Jeno did not stand a chance. 

His swallow in the suddenly death quiet hallway was clearly audible. 

The darker skinned one grinned so violently that Jeno’s blood became chilled, while the one gripping him remained stagnant. His icy touch began to burn against Jeno’s already freezing skin, the cold burrowing it’s way to the bone. He wasn’t sure what he had done to piss off the Laminae, but he would have done anything to reverse it, if only to have a painless death they would not provide him.

Jeno despised the way his voice wavered as he asked, “Have I done something to offend Prince Renjun?”

“Why do you assume it is our prince you offended?” The one who possessed Moonfire tilted his head in a way that betrayed the wolf that prowled deep beneath his skin. “What if it was myself or my love?”

Jeno choked, sputtering on air and words simultaneously. For every whisper and story he’d heard ripple through Aswa, he had never once heard one of the Laminae being lovers. Truthfully, he hadn’t thought they knew how to love, had thought they only knew how to pledge loyalty. To each other and Prince Renjun, perhaps amicable with others, but only truly good to one another. 

Laughter brushed over Jeno’s skin, soft and lovely, something he wouldn’t have expected from either of them. For a moment, he wondered if he had imagined it, but no he hadn’t. Not by the way the one who possessed Quicksilver smiled at him, gently acidic, but amused undoubtedly. 

His lips brushed over Jeno’s cheek as he whispered, chest pressing against Jeno’s own, “Do you have something against Donghyuck and I sharing a bed?”

“No!” Jeno managed to strangle, curling his fingers into his palm to stifle the urge to swat this man away. 

The other one, Donghyuck, smiled once more, stepping behind his love to peer into Jeno’s face. “What business do you think you have wandering the quarters that once belonged to our Queen and her court?” 

Jeno blinked, once, then twice. He hadn’t realized how far he had wandered, how deep into Starfire he had explored. There was a reason the halls were shadowed and void, a reason that he hadn’t seen a servant or courtier in what felt like an eternity; because the halls he was wandering belonged to the wing of the castle that had once belonged to Queen Chungha. There would be only one other person the Laminae would be protective over other than each other and their prince, and that was their long since dead queen. Everyone in the Unseelie court harbored a fierce protectiveness towards her, although Jeno could not say he understood, just based off what he had been taught about her. She had betrayed her love, her lands, her people, his  _ own _ first Queen Sunmi. 

Jeno had to answer carefully, unless he wanted his throat slit. Quietly, shakily, he said, “I hadn’t realized what this part of the castle was. Otherwise, I would have avoided it.”

Donghyuck’s face was grave as he spat out, “Prince Ten has ordered that you mind yourself and do not go poking around where you do not belong. We wouldn’t want to insult your Crown Prince by killing you, but if it’s something we must sacrifice for our own prince, we will do it.” 

Jeno was spared from searching for a response by an unhurried set of footsteps heading down the hallway, right towards them. While the icy warrior held Jeno in place, Donghyuck turned, drawing Moonfire so fast Jeno hadn’t even witnessed him doing it. The blade was a slash of silvery light in the darkness of the corridor, the tip of the blade pointed directly at… Prince Renjun’s heart.

Jeno had gotten a couple glimpses of the prince during the past day, and had seen him at dinner the previous night, but in the shadows of a forgotten corridor the prince lost all sense of regality. His lips were drawn back in a snarl, darkness snaking off of him, creeping along the floors and walls. If Jeno had been scared of the Laminae, he was down right terrified of the picture Prince Renjun painted. The Laminae were Wrath incarnate, but their prince was Death incarnate.

Donghyuck matched the prince’s snarl with one of his own, hastily sheathing Moonfire but keeping his eyes on Renjun. 

“What are you doing?” Donghyuck barked, violence still shining in his eyes. It seemingly didn’t matter to the warrior that he was bound to Renjun, sworn to protect the royal until Death claimed one of them. He would treat Renjun like everyone else and this fact didn’t seem to bother the youngest prince. His endless obsidian eyes met Jeno’s mahogany brown. 

“My blood was singing to me, begging me to come find my sworn,” he explained, voice bland and impassive. His eyes slid back to Donghyuck, his darkness sweeping closer to the warrior, brushing at his ankles like a cat greeting it’s owner. “Perhaps, the bond wanted to inform me that you were about to make a bold decision. Jaemin, release the soldier unless you want Lieutenant Johnny Seo out for your blood.” Renjun’s grin was feral as he added, “And before I let him spill it.”

Jaemin didn’t seem bothered by the threat, as if he received it often, and took a step back dropping his hands from Jeno. 

Something deep inside Jeno, perhaps a primal instinct, roared at him to run. To run far away from the three men, clearly adequate killers who would have no qualms killing him for mere sport,  _ entertainment _ . The thought made his stomach churn and caused his legs to turn to lead. He couldn’t run, not without exposing his back to them and giving them a perfect opening to rip him apart, despite Renjun’s warning.

He did the last thing he could think of that would spare him, gain the respect of all three men.

Lee Jeno, for the first time in his decades of living, fell to his knees, into a deep bow for someone other than his Prince Kun or Kun’s parents. His bones groaned and ached from the impact on the stone floor, but Jeno ignored it, pressing his forehead against the dampness there, willing himself to breathe evenly.

He didn’t dare look up, to face the three men who were the product of nightmares, who had won entire battles by themselves. They were the same age as him, and yet, they had seen more bloodshed and death than Jeno might ever see in his entire life. It was that thought that kept him on the floor, complacent, until otherwise indicated.

Something soft and sweet brushed over Jeno’s hair then his cheek, pressing hard enough that Jeno felt it but light enough that it was barely a whisper of a touch. He held his breath, knowing very well that it was not a hand, but rather Prince Renjun’s magic. To be touched by the youngest prince, let alone his magic… His lungs felt like they would burst, his entire being trembling not with fear but anticipation.

The only thing he could hear was his heartbeat in his ears.

And then, on a lover’s whisper, in a voice qualified to haunt both dreams and nightmares: “Welcome to the Unseelie court, may my blood bound and brethren treat you well lest they want to find they don’t wake from their nightmares.” 

Footsteps echoed in the corridor once more and still, Jeno did not rise. He remained on the floor, bowing and loyal, the ideal follower. He stayed there for so long that his body screamed in agony when he lifted himself into a proper sitting position and that his head spun from the blood that had rushed to it. Yet, he couldn’t be bothered to do anything other than stare into the darkness, watching for a wraith or a ghost.

The prince and his blood bound were gone, but Jeno’s lingering dread was not. The words echoed in his head, ricocheting around until they hurt bad enough he thought his ears might bleed. His hands trembled as he gripped at the floor, forcing himself to stand and return to the upperlevels, to get ready for the gathering to welcome his Crown Prince.

None of it mattered, though. Not a damn thing mattered, not when Jeno had felt and heard the order of protection Prince Renjun had gifted him.

Something the prince had never given anyone before. Not even his blood sworn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a different character's pov which i thought could be fun but also allowed us to see prince renjun for the first time! i hope you love him and the Laminae as much as i do! and the first mention of the seelie's first queen and the history behind the two courts...
> 
> if you wanna talk or hang out here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) and [curious cat](https://t.co/0W7CyOjNRV?amp=1)


	5. V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A traitor in both life and death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for you miss carly @taeyongseo

Kun’s hands had taken on such a tremor that it was a bit of a disgrace, at least he perceived it as so. None of the others necessarily seemed to notice, much too busy fussing over this and that. He was certain Taeyong and Taeil’s fussing pertained to appearances while Jaehyun and Johnny’s had more to do with aspects of safety. If this event had been taking place in Kortrana, in the city he was familiar with, then perhaps he would have joined the bickering that floated around the room in a friendly caress.

Yangyang, Chenle, and Jisung were causing trouble for Taeyong and Taeil as per usual, their outfits far too crumpled and creased for such an event (according to Taeyong). Mark and Yukhei were quietly conversing with their commanders, the crease between their brows the only evidence of the seriousness they carried. Surprisingly, Jeno wasn’t taking part in the conversation, his gaze set on the window. He had been rather distant and quiet all day long, but Kun couldn’t tell if that was unusual. Not anymore, at least. He didn’t know when it had happened, perhaps at the same time it had happened for him, but it seemed that in the matter of weeks his babies had turned into grown men.

He knew it had not been weeks, but decades, and that time was warped and not fair to him anymore. Had it ever been fair to begin with? 

Kun blinked, once then twice, at the reflection of himself in the full length mirror he stood before. He had been standing there since he had been deemed put together enough to be complete, but he wondered what made him seem put together enough to face not just the entirety of the Unseelie royal family, but his fiance. The word “fiance” caused a chill to slither down his spine, a hard stone finding home in the very pit of his stomach. There was a time where he would have wanted to get married, but it seemed so far away, a distant dream that had long since been out of reach.

A warm hand ran along the small of Kun’s back, comforting and grounding enough that Kun didn’t have to look to know who it was.

“Taeil,” he said by way of greeting, shocked by just how weary his voice sounded to himself. 

Taeil’s smile was just as tired as Kun felt, but no less bright than it normally was which soothed Kun’s aching soul just the slightest. “Try to look like you’re actually meeting your beloved and not like you're walking to your death.”

“It certainly feels like that right now,” Kun couldn’t help but grumble, averting his eyes from the mirror. He found the obsidian marble floor suddenly insanely interesting. 

“He could surprise you, Kun.” Taeil’s voice took on an even softer note than it usually did, lilting and soothing. “He could be everything you hope for and more. Just remember that.”

“Does it matter?” Kun couldn’t help the edge that took hold of his voice, that belied the truth of his feelings on the matter. “Does it matter even a single bit compared to what my life could have looked like with him? I don’t think it does and as much as I should try to like this prince, I won’t. Not because I’m petty or bratty, but because it is all I have left. To hate him and hope that he will hate me back so at the very least there can be some semblance of passion in our relationship.” 

Taeil fell silent. Kun knew that Taeil had no words to soothe him, no words of comfort in this moment as he fully understood why Kun was fighting violently against this more so than the Unseelie Prince. This was not something that Taeil would take, not something anyone would take. The royal advisor nodded and pressed a hand to Kun’s cheek, as if to wipe away a tear that was not there, that would never be there because Kun would never allow it to fall. His smile was tight lipped, grim, as he turned away from his prince and resumed his battering of Jisung. 

Kun watched it all, but almost as if he was at a distance. He didn’t feel like he was a part of the chaos, but rather one of the ghosts of Starfire watching the living with the distinct taste of longing settling beneath their tongue and in their throats. What he was longing for, he couldn’t say. Perhaps the sense of normalcy or the feeling of belonging, either way, he knew better than to long for something that would never be his. He turned away and shut the door deep inside him that had creaked open long enough to allow the wanting to creep through. 

It was only a few minutes longer until they slipped out of the room they had prepared in together. As usual, Kun was ushered into the center of the group, guarded from all sides and angles. The thought of one of his courtiers or soldiers taking a blow meant for him made him queasy, but it wasn’t something that he could dispute as he had been told several times by Johnny and Taeyong. The couple who cared so much for Kun’s safety walked in front of the prince, their hands brushing against each other in the faintest of caresses. Kun swallowed the information that it would be the most physical interaction the two would get until after the gathering; a gathering where they should get to put aside their duties and get at least one dance with each other. 

When they entered the hall that the gathering was deemed to take place in, a hall Kun had not yet seen though it didn’t surprise him in the slightest due to the sheer size of Starfire, it fell silent. He wasn’t sure if he should attribute the silence to respect or the fact everyone had been whispering about him and his court and hadn’t wanted to be caught. 

“Your Highness.”

The voice that crooned at Kun in greeting had the hairs on the back on his arms and the back of his neck raising, every alarm system in his body wailing with severity. He couldn’t remember the last time he had reacted in such a way, especially to a greeting from a person. He knew before he turned who he would face, who had taken the honors of stepping up to formally welcome Kun and introduce him to the courtiers and royals. 

Prince Ten, affectionately referred to as the Prince of Darkness, didn’t look much different than he had beneath the slip of moonlight with a panther at his feet. Perhaps, he seemed a bit steadier on his feet since there was a distinct lack of alcohol in his system, but otherwise his predatory smile and glowing skin were the same. The way his canines seemed sharp enough to tear into Kun’s throat and the way he moved with a gracefulness that was indicative to what kind of training he had received in the centuries of his existence.

Kun should have known who the mysterious predator beneath the moonlight had been. 

If Ten recognized Kun, he didn’t show it. His smile remained and his voice was as lovely of a purr as the Terrors as he said, “Welcome to the family, my love.”

*

Ten had not exactly expected to have met the Prince of the Seelie court before this, and nor had he expected to do it while drunk, but not everything went the way he hoped for. He had learned this long ago and since had given up on trying to orchestrate the cards to fall in his favor; they tended to do so anyways, due to the fact that he had been blessed by more than one god at birth. At least, that was what Joohyun had told him multiple times and who was he to argue with his future queen?

Prince Kun blinked at Ten, his dark eyes round and questioning, in an innocent way that Ten knew had Jungwoo wishing to devour the poor royal whole. The tangerine haired fae stood to Ten’s left, tongue running over his bottom lip as he certainly daydreamed about what a Seelie royal may taste like. Ten would have allowed himself to daydream as well, but he couldn’t scare off the finicky sunshine babies just yet. At least, not with his sister and step-mother watching him so attentively.

“Prince Ten,” Kun finally managed to muster up a weak response. Ten merely took Kun’s hand into his own, ignoring the distinct lack of scars and calluses, to press a delicate kiss to the knuckles. A pretty flush spread over the high planes of Kun’s face, before disappearing down his neck into his white silk shirt. White, the color of purity, Ten noted. 

“Please,” Ten cooed, daring to take a small step closer, his smile as sharp as ever. “Just call me Ten.”

Before Kun could muster up a somewhat coherent response, his blue haired advisor was stepping forward. His dark eyes betrayed the displeasure he was feeling towards Ten despite the kind smile he was using in the form of a peace offering. “It would be improper for him to refer to you as anything but your proper title, Your Highness.” 

“Should he not call his fiance by his given name?” Doyoung questioned, head cocked slightly, but enough so that Ten could sense the threat that lay in between the words he had asked. A threat to stay quiet, to stay out of the conversation that their royals were trying to have. Both Doyoung and Jungwoo had their swords on them, and Ten had no doubt they were just searching for a reason to put them to use.

With no lack of amusement, Ten also noted that Kun’s personal guards were carrying their own swords. Lieutenant Johnny and General Jaehyun had their hands hanging loosely by their sides, but the clenching of their fingers, the scowl on their faces… They so badly wanted to pick a fight, not used to being challenged. Ten would truly and certainly enjoy the Seelie’s stay if they were so easy to rile up. 

Ten was still gripping Kun’s hand, who had made no move to pull away, when his minx of a brother was strolling up with all the self assuredness and causality of a male who knew he held the world in his hands. 

Renjun’s smile was pure laziness, pure danger, as he scanned the group of Seelie’s. He was as tall as Ten himself, perhaps a bit thinner, but no less meaner. Renjun’s slim fingers found purchase in Ten’s elbow, gripping tight enough to hold his older brother against him with no amount of fondness but rather territorialism. Ten allowed it for once, if only because the expressions of the Seelie fae were worth it. 

“Mother and Irene said that you should let them mingle. You’ll have plenty more time to get to know Prince Kun better,” Renjun said, his drawl lazy and uninterested. He paused for a moment, a grin that held only mischief, before adding, “An entire life together, in fact. Nice to meet you, Prince Kun. I look forward to us being brothers.”

Kun turned a sickly shade of green, as if finally realizing the kind of life his parents had signed him up for. Ten might have felt bad if not for the young blond fae who stood a bit behind his prince; the fae looked equally as sick, his face scrunched up almost as if he was in pain. The interesting part was that his eyes were not upon Ten, but rather, his youngest brother. Renjun was making a considerable effort not to look in the fae’s direction, something that Ten would make sure to file away for future investigation. 

“I suppose that’s true,” Ten said, finally dropping Kun’s hand. Kun let his hand hang limply at his side, as if uncertain what to do with either his hand or himself. It would be so easy to break this prince, bend him into the kind of husband Ten would need at his side during these wars, but he couldn’t even begin to imagine the wrath the Seelie King and Queen would bring upon him for doing so. At least for now, he would have to let the Seelie Prince grow into his own person, no matter how lackluster that may be. “You and your courtiers should go mingle. Save a dance for me, Prince Kun.”

Kun had no response to that, merely allowing his red haired advisor to guide him away. Ten watched their retreat, straight to where Sooyoung and Joohyun laid in wait. No better than their brothers, but giving the illusion that since they were women they could provide some semblance of comfort. Laughable to Ten, when he had seen Joohyun rip a man’s head off once, smiling as she did so. Ten watched their retreat with no small amount of amusement, before turning to face his baby brother only to find that he had another sibling stand before him as well. 

Ten’s eyebrows shot up as he took in his second youngest brother. Hendery stood tall and proud, rosy lips quirked in the smallest of smiles, his black hair combed back from his face for once. Standing perhaps a step behind the prince, was Dejun, Hendery’s favorite guard and the closest thing he had to a best friend. His face was drawn and serious, but his eyes… They followed the second youngest prince around with an intensity that could not be rivaled even by the Laminae. 

“Did I miss the chance to introduce myself to my dear future brother in law?” Hendery asked, not a shred of remorse staining his voice. No, he didn’t care much if he missed the chance to meet a future family member; he mourned the fact that he did not get to play predator against an unwitting, unwilling prey. 

“You’ll have the rest of the night to speak to him,” Ten replied with a sharp coolness that hadn’t taken practice to achieve, but was rather something he’d been born with. Much like the cruelty and lethalness that ran through him. His siblings were no different than him, although the youngest four had been created by another mother than him, Joy, and Irene. They were bred true and strong.

“But so will you, brother,” Renjun pointed out, his smirk nearly as nasty as his personality. The darkness that usually wreathed his shoulders and neck like a veil of protection were nowhere to be seen, perhaps being kept at bay for the night. Ten would assume that Xinyue, his step-mother, had asked as much of Renjun to keep from scaring the  _ poor  _ Seelie. 

  
Xinyue could act as innocent and kind as she wanted, but she was just as Unseelie as the rest of them. If given the chance, she would flatten the Seelie’s beneath her high heels. 

Doyoung’s gaze that he settled upon Renjun was weighed heavy with disapproval. “That blond fae looked sick when you joined us. Did your dogs do something to him?”

Renjun bared his teeth, his facade of civility fading away, rendering him back to his true form of primal instinct. The instinct to protect his loves, the loves that Doyoung continued to give tough love despite the amount of affection he felt towards them. Jaemin and Donghyuck would be some of the best Unseelie warriors the court had ever seen, if only they would allow Doyoung to steer them in the right direction. It was Renjun who had happened to disrupt the Laminae’s teachings the most, giving them everything they needed or wanted. The closest to wearing rose colored glasses that an Unseelie could truly get. 

“Just because they won’t obey for you does  _ not  _ mean they are dogs,” Renjun hissed before turning and striding away over to the very same men he was so eager to defend. It did not slip Ten’s attention that Renjun had avoided answering Doyoung’s question. If Doyoung was right, then it meant Ten would have to keep a close eye on their youngest courtiers.

“Sometimes,” Doyoung said, certainly not all that irritated despite how he had been spoken to. “I forget just how much of a brat your brother is.”

“I would disagree,” Hendery chimed in, grinning as if he was a cat who had just caught a canary. “But I think it’s all too true that while we were bred to be deadly, we were also bred to be bratty. I wonder how Joohyun managed to overcome that particular trait.”

“Who’s to say that she did?” Jungwoo questioned, his smile wicked as only a person who knew he could speak ill about his royals and not die for it would be. 

Ten blocked out their banter, his gaze following the group of Seelie’s that seemed rather reluctant to part from each other. Kun remained in the heart of the group, surrounded and protected in the manner only a man who had not been trained to kill would need to be. Ten nearly pitied him at that thought, that the prince had truly never been taught how to defend himself well enough that he could take out enemies with ease. The Seelie Prince would easily be taken down by a single witch, and despite himself, the thought was disconcerting to Ten. 

“Doyoung.” The dark haired warrior gave his prince his entire focus, as expected. “I need you to get more information on the prince and his court. Something isn’t sitting right.”

“They’re pansies,” Jungwoo said, a snarl directed towards the Seelie court. “They’ve never been trained like we have to deal with death and tragedy.”

“Have you ever thought,” Hendery said with such softness it hurt Ten’s heart to hear it, “that we shouldn’t have been exposed to such things so young? That, perhaps,  _ they  _ are the lucky ones?” 

Dejun stepped forward, his voice just as soft as he said to his prince, “They will not consider themselves so lucky when their city is overrun with witches that can kill them easily because they were never  _ fortunate _ enough to learn how to defend themselves.” 

Hendery didn’t seem to have an answer for that, and neither did the rest of their companions. 

*

Princess Irene and Princess Joy were just as intimidating as they had been the night before at dinner. Their smiles were deceiving enough, but Kun knew of the power that lurked beneath those facades and how easy it would be for them to cut him and his court down. Kun wasn’t sure why he had once deluded himself into thinking that he might get loving older sisters out of this arrangement. Kun didn’t know how long he had been idly chatting with the sisters, or the closest to idle that the two could get, when hell broke loose in the hall. It started with a growl that made every inch of Kun’s body go still, perhaps in hopes that if he remained still enough that the predator the sound belonged to would not notice him. 

Johnny and Jaehyun both lunged for their prince, eager to protect and defend as they had sworn to do long ago. Before either could reach him, though, Kun was being grabbed by a slender hand, nails slicing through his delicate skin as he was shoved behind Princess Joy herself. Gone was the sweet faced courtier, and in place of that, the Scarlet Witch Kun had heard countless stories about. Her crimson lips were drawn back in a snarl that promised dismemberment and Widow Maker was raised high enough that even if Kun’s own court approached, they would be cut down. 

Irene stood beside her younger sister, twin daggers of obsidian and silver raised before her, her face carefully blank but her eyes assessing every area before her. From what Kun could see beyond the warrior sisters, two wolves, one silver and one snow white, sat before Prince Renjun. Renjun didn’t seem to need much protection, not with the dark shadows that wreathed him and the length of the sword that he was holding. 

Prince Hendery had his back against his guard’s, both their swords raised as they both assessed the situation in a similar manner to Princess Irene. The Terrors grins once again resembled bared teeth, but the light that danced in their onyx eyes made it clear that they had hoped bloodshed would become a possibility. 

But Prince Ten…

His betrothed was a sight to behold. A circlet of moonfire and shadows rested above his head, a mockery of what he was and what he stood for. Twin blades, that shone beneath the moonfire that seemed to flow unchecked from Ten’s body, were raised in an X that shielded most of his body. His friends, warriors and courtiers that Kun had only caught brief glimpses of, surrounded their prince with their own various weapons raised on the defensive. There was only one warrior that was missing, and it was the wavy dark haired one with fierce eyes, who had his foot pressed against a lithe girl’s chest, holding her down until Ten could make his way over.    
  


Ten leaned down to face the girl who was writhing on the floor, attempting to free herself. The hall had gone radio silent, everyone seemingly holding their breaths to see what would come of this situation. Joy grabbed Kun’s arm once more, leading him along with her and Irene to join her brother as the rest of their siblings and their companions made their way over as well. Kun didn’t think he had a place in this, but he knew better than to argue with a group of such fae.

“So,” Ten drawled, his voice carefully constructed into a tone of boredom. “Were you enjoying the party,  _ witchling _ ?”

The silver wolf that stood a few feet away let out a low growl at the term, the sound resonating deep in Kun’s chest, wrapping around the fear that had formed there. Joy’s hand remained on Kun’s arm, fingers digging deep into the tender flesh on the underside of his arm; whether out of protection or to prevent him from doing something stupid, he couldn’t tell. 

The girl - the  _ witch  _ \- snarled at Ten with such ferocity that it had Kun taking a small retreating step backwards, only for his back to meet the firm chest of BamBam who sent him a sinful grin that was anything but reassuring. Blue sparks seemed to snap from the witch’s fingers, but she couldn’t mobilize herself enough to direct them at anyone or anything. Her eyes seemed to match the sparks, a vivid electric blue that seared Kun’s soul if he looked at her for too long. 

“Your kind has gone unchecked for too long,” she hissed at Ten, as if she didn’t hear his question or was merely ignoring it. Kun stiffened at the dismissal, wondering what Ten would do to this witch for her blatant disrespect.

Ten smirked, his tongue gliding over his lip in a smooth, slow motion. He was deliberately stalling, making the young witch sweat it out for as long as possible; giving her the false hope that she could find a way to escape, Kun came to the sickening realization. Ten was toying with his prey before killing it.

“Is that so?” The tangerine haired fae, with a bittersweet smile. His smile fell away into the look Kun had head stories of, the face that told Kun that this witch’s death would be anything but quick and painless. “And yet, your kind kills fae  _ children  _ for  _ fun _ . If you came here tonight in hopes to find corruption that stinks worse than yours then you are gravely wrong,  _ Morena _ .” 

Kun froze once more, fingers twitching uselessly at his sides as he recognized the name. Morena Erix, witch nobility, suspected to be one of the leaders and driving forces that had lead witches into Aswa. A chilling calm swept over him, the horror of what fate might meet her no longer seeming so important as he mentally went over all the war crimes she had committed. 

There was not a drop of pity deep inside him and suddenly he wished he could be the one to execute her. Watching Ten’s face, he considered the possibilities of being told yes if he merely asked. 

Morena’s face didn’t move an inch, seemingly at peace with the young lives she had taken. It seemed to grate on not only Kun’s nerves that she had no guilt for what she did, seeing as Ten’s facade slipped and a snarl formed. Morena’s lips lifted in a smirk, as if she took pleasure in the way that she managed to unnerve everyone who was present.

“Kill her,” Irene said shortly, her grip on her twin daggers becoming tighter. “Kill her and be done with it, brother. She won’t say anything worthwhile and we both know it.”

Morena barked out a laugh that was as cruel as Kun suspected her to be. “Poor Li Irene. Next in line to be queen, but thought to be inferior to her siblings. Who will ever listen to you without one of your brothers or sisters at your side?”

Irene’s fingers twitched just slightly before one of her daggers was soaring through the air and finding its place in Morena’s arm that was still sparking at her side. Morena let out a scream that Kun knew would haunt his dreams for not just years, but decades, to come. Not a scream of pleasure or pain, but rage and anguish. Irene’s face didn’t so much as twitch, her dark eyes taking in the blood that flowed over the marble floors.

“Kill her. And send her remains back to her family. Leave them a note. Tell them of how she fell in love with an Unseelie. Tell them that she is a traitor in every sense of the word and she should be treated as one even in death.” Irene’s smile was the worst Kun had ever seen in his life as she said with a gentleness that didn’t belong in this moment, “May you be remembered across the lands, Morena. For your true nature and your true soul.”

Lisa raised her sword at the same time that the dark haired warrior did, both of their faces grim. 

Before the blades could fall and allow them to find their target at her neck, she snarled at them, eyes alight with fervor, “ _ Long live the queen _ !”

Her head was severed from her body, the action emphasized by the sound of tendons and muscle being cut through. Blood splattered across the floor and over the closest spectators, but no one blinked or breathed, as if they were used to such things being done before them. 

Long live the queen.

Their queen who had been murdered centuries earlier, that would never return. A queen that Morena Erix would not meet even in death. 

Still, Kun did not pity her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if things still seem a little hazy so far i apologize but i really do not want to give anything away just yet! if you have any questions, predictions, or comments please feel free to throw them at me. and finally hendery and his trusted guard dejun appears! 
> 
> if you wanna talk or hang out here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) and [curious cat](https://t.co/0W7CyOjNRV?amp=1)


	6. VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ghosts of the past and of the palace whisper stories of old.

_ Blood dripped down the length of Ten’s blade, slow and careful, as if in an attempt to defy gravity. The droplets clung to the smooth length of metal, as if wanting to leave its mark, but the ground was ravenous. The grounds of the Unseelie court were just as bloodthirsty as the fae that lived upon it; rare flowers tended to spring up where battle had been, blooming in crimson and silver to represent the blood of those who had lost their lives on the field. Morbid and macabre, but beautiful in the way that new life was created from death.  _

_ Weiqin prowled up to Ten, her muzzle and paws drenched from the merciless killing she had done and from the blood that coated the ground. Ten didn’t look at her as he dropped his hand upon her head, patting in praise for how well she had done that day. Weiqin had been bred and trained for war, but it didn’t mean that he couldn’t appreciate her efforts to keep him and his siblings standing upright in the midst of fighting. _

_ The dull ringing that always seemed to take place in his ears when he fought began to fade, bringing him back to the present where he could hear the groans and screams of those dying and in pain. He found no sympathy for them, not even if they were his own men. They had died bravely and for that they would be remembered. He would’ve helped them if he could’ve, but he didn’t have a lick of healing power inside him. He only knew how to wield death and darkness in his two hands.  _

_ An ancient and alluring power licked down his spine, caressed his own, causing Ten to turn and greet his siblings. Sooyoung was drenched in the deep red blood of the witches, raising her hands to her mouth to take a long lick over the palm of her hand, sighing in ecstasy from the taste. Joohyun’s circlet that she kept on even during battle was askew, tilting towards the ground as if it also wanted to taste the blood that drenched the grass.  _

_ The Terrors strolled towards their older siblings with their weapons still in their hands, BamBam holding his knife out for his twin to taste the blood before it could drip from the sharp edges of the blade. He himself and the twins had the most voracious appetite for blood, especially witch blood, but the twins allowed themselves to indulge it in more often than Ten did. Joohyun’s slender fingers cupped at Ten’s cheek, smearing mud and dirt across the supple skin there.  _

_ “Are you hurt?” she asked, not in the voice of a sister, but in the voice of a commander assessing one of her best soldiers.  _

_ Ten pressed his lips together, gave a short shake of the head to affirm that he hadn’t been harmed. He hadn’t been, but he couldn’t help but wonder if any of his close companions had been slaughtered in the battle that had raged on for two days and two nights. _ _   
  
_

_ He scanned the immediate area, searching for any signs of his legion and those he was closest to. When he couldn’t find any sign of long crimson hair or Death wearing an angel’s face, he snapped his fingers at Weiwei, that being all the encouragement she needed to prowl away in search of those that Ten seeked to find. Joohyun dropped her hand, sighing through her nose. _

_ “They were trained by my own, Ten,” she said, cold and eternal, just as her reign would be when she ascended to the throne. “I’m sure they’re not only alive, but triumphant.”  _

_ Ten didn’t dignify her words with a response, tracking the Terrors movements. Their blades had been nearly licked clean, the two allowing a few droplets to meet the ground in tribute to the lives lost and the gods that were the only beings to which the two would bow. Not for the king, not for their sister; only to the gods and each other would they bend the knee.  _

_ “They went easier than I thought they would,” Lisa noted, a small amount of disappointment seeming to peek through. It didn’t seem to matter that flowers would bloom on the field for decades to come, it hadn’t been nearly enough bloodshed for the Terrors. Frankly, it hadn’t been enough for Ten either, not that he would admit to it.  _

_ “Did you actually expect them to get the upper hand with  _ us _ here?” Sooyoung demanded somewhat incredulously. She raised a dark eyebrow at her sister, inky locks waving in the wind like a flag of victory. _

_ Victorious. They always ended up being victorious whenever their father deemed it appropriate to unleash his children and their legions upon enemies. It was no surprise that they always came out on top, not when they knew how to dismantle and dismember entire armies with the same ease they used to breathe and talk. Murder and war and death were easy for them, it was the “normal” aspects of life that eluded them. The same, mundane aspects of life that Xinyue said they would all find themselves enjoying some day, though she didn't seem too convinced of it herself, as if she wasn’t sure if the throne of the Queen of The Unseelie was even where she was supposed to be. To Ten, it would never be her who belonged on that throne. _

_ Joohyun didn’t seem to mind the bickering that her siblings began to engage in. She raised her chin in that authoritative way she did when she felt less important than she actually was and said, “Lisa, BamBam, check the bodies and if any of them are alive, kill them. We take no prisoners.”  _

_ No prisoners. Just carcasses to return to the families that waited across the sea in Thaynis for their children and siblings and spouses. Ten waited to see if he would feel a pinprick of guilt at the concept, but nothing happened. He didn’t feel any shred of regret over killing the witches and their kin.  _

_ The witches had the same unending thirst for fae that the fae felt towards the witches. If the war didn’t destroy them all, he figured it would be rather interesting to see who was left standing at the end. Both sides of the war were resilient, centuries old societies that had been built on the same basic principles (blood and loss and violence and greed), and if they continued on how they were, the war would last for generations. _

_ “You must have done well today if you seem so tranquil right now,” Yuta’s teasing voice carried easily over the sound of the wounded and dying.  _

_ It was easier to choose to listen to his friends rather than to choose to listen to those he might have slaughtered himself. He didn’t feel bad, though, not one bit. Not when he had heard the stories of what this particular witch legion had done to a village a few miles away, not when he knew what had happened to one of the Unseelie servants who had been captured and tortured. _

_ Ten didn’t feel bad and maybe that made him just as much of a monster as them, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care about that either.  _

_ “And what about you, Nakamoto? Did you and the others fare well?” Ten asked, although exhaustion weighed not just his every step but his every word. He wouldn’t get the chance to rest for a long while; for all the fun that war was for Ten, the technicalities and legalities of the aftermath were something he could do without.  _

_ Yuta gave a brief run down of what the others had gone through once they had gotten separated from Ten, and Ten nodded along, for the most part relatively pleased with the report he was being given. He had no doubt that his warriors had done well, as Joohyun had mentioned, they had been trained by the best and therefore fought like it.  _

_ “Good,” Ten said shortly once Yuta had finished. On all accounts, it seemed as if Ione, Goddess of Victories, had been watching over them. “Go find your love and get some rest.” _

_ Yuta sputtered for a mere moment, and despite the blood that seemed to coat every bare inch of his body, he barked at Ten as if they were merely lounging around Starfire. “He’s not my love and you know that. Go wash yourself, you look like you bathed in blood.” _

_ Ten’s smile was near feral. “Perhaps I did.” _

_ Yuta’s smile mirrored Ten’s own. “I wouldn’t doubt it for one minute.” _

_ Maybe it was a gentle reminder from Elios that Ten and his friends weren’t infallible. Maybe it was the sudden fear of loss that he was usually able to bury so well. Maybe it was a glimpse of what could have been. Ten couldn’t say what the reason was for it, but for a moment as he watched Yuta walk away, back towards the rest of their friends, a vision of his friends being slaughtered and bleeding out flickered behind his eyes. _

_ Ten swallowed hard, shutting his eyes as if he could block out those mental images by doing so.  _

_ They had won the battle, but would they win the war? _

  
  


*

Kun jolted awake in the dead of night. Moonlight streamed into his spacious room, peeking through the curtains as if it was merely curious to see what was occurring inside Starfire. As if it was in search of one of its children that it had lost that night; the witches believed themselves to be children of the moon, yet another thing they tried to take from the Unseelie who were the true children of the moon. Snowflakes melted along the glass of the window despite the waning fire across the room. It was quiet. There seemed to be no discernible reason for Kun to be awake.

Kun sighed sharply through this nose, prepared to turn over and go back to sleep. He blinked, reaching up to rub at his eyes, but when his eyes focused on the room once more, he realized there was a figure standing in a slip of moonlight. He rose into a sitting position, slowly and carefully, not wanting to startle the figure.

She didn’t even bat an eyelash at the movement, merely continued to watch him intently with solemn, deep brown eyes.

She was hazy, seemingly flickering when a cloud passed over the moon and slightly obscured the light that spilled over the floor. Her black gown fell to the floor, clinging to her curves with a lacy cape brushing over the marble beside it. Her pale blonde hair was pulled back in two braids, vibrant flowers entwined among the strands of hair, and jewelry adorned her neck and her arms and fingers. A simple circlet rested upon her head, the metal entwining and finally meeting in the middle, where a crescent moon turned on it’s side rested.

Kun didn’t need to ask to know who had come to visit him. 

The first Queen of the Unseelie, the incarnate of the Moon, was standing in his room, staring at him with such intensity he wondered if she had intentions to melt his bones with her moonfire. 

“Your Majesty,” he whispered, his voice feeling too loud for the silence that enveloped the room. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to make it onto the floor to bow properly, not with his legs shaking beneath the mounds of blankets they were under. Rather, he bowed at the waist, face mere inches from the mattress he laid upon. 

Queen Chungha’s smile was kind and dainty, nothing like the sharp and malevolent smiles her heirs gave him. “Prince Kun,” she responded in kind, her head tiltingto the side as she took him in. Her hair flowed like water, slipping over her shoulder, shimmering and beautiful. 

Kun suddenly felt sick as he remembered the cruel words that the Seelie spat when it came to the first Unseelie queen, what nasty terms they used to describe her. She wasn’t in her true form, unable to do so after all the years she had spent in the sky watching over her own. She was considered a deity to most, having rightfully earned her spot amongst them. He wondered if the gods viewed her as such, or rather, just another one of the silly fae they watched over.

“You are a long way from home, boy,” she spoke with the irreverence of someone who knew they had an eternity and then an eternity after that as well. “Does it not feel like you have passed through one world into another?”

Kun swallowed, didn’t bother to ask how she got her information when the Sun and Moon could see all. “Sometimes, yes. But my parents need me here, so this is where I will stay.”

Pity seemed to flash in Chungha’s eyes, just momentarily, before she was smiling serenely once more. “Be careful, Seelie Prince. The Unseelie court is not always what it seems. It’s deceitful and cruel, but they value loyalty above all.” She paused, seemingly bitter as she added, “It’s not something many of your kind know, is it? Undying loyalty.” 

“I have plenty of fae who are  _ loyal  _ to me,” Kun couldn’t help but hiss, feeling the need to defend his friends. Two of which were sleeping across the suite, perhaps just as fitfully as Kun after what had happened at the gathering. After witnessing the well deserved death of Morena. 

“They are the exception, not the rule, Your Highness.” The patience and kindness she displayed was unrivaled. Kun hadn’t met anyone like her in his life, and he was sure that he never would. She was power and beauty in the most raw, uncut form. He hated to admit it, but in the moments he had caught Ten seemingly at peace, they seemed similar. “Needless to say, the world is suffering, Prince Kun. Protect yourself and your heart.”

Kun paused, wanting to say something in thanks, but instead found himself asking, “Are they good people? The one I’m to marry and his family?”

“That’s for you to decide,” Chungha replied firmly, unwavering. While her voice remained sure and firm, her figure rippled and flickered, indicating that her visit could soon be cut short. “Just as your fate is yours to decide, Your Highness. Don’t let anyone take that from you or derail you. Don’t wander off your path too far, Qian Kun, or else you may never be able to find your way back to it.”

Her words trailed off and her gaze became murky, distant. She was seeing something but not something that was a part of Kun’s world. Either something of the future or something of the past, perhaps both, several fates entwining in a single vision. After a moment, she met Kun’s eyes once more, a sparkling tear sliding along the sharp planes of her face. She smiled once more, lips trembling with unease and sadness. 

“I wandered from my own path, and while I managed to create something beautiful for myself, it’s not what I wanted. Do you understand?” She explained with such an urgent softness that for a moment, Kun’s soul ached. If only she were tangible, if only he could hold her and tell her that even if they labelled her a traitor, she was more than what they saw her for.

“Goodnight.”

Her dismissal faded as she did too, returning once more to the darkness and silver that fell through the window. 

Kun fell back into the pillowyness of his mattress, didn’t question the visit or the fact that he was perhaps the only person to see her in centuries. Perhaps, she would not return again for sometime, and if she didn’t, he wouldn’t blame her. He stared out the window for much longer than necessary, as if she would somehow return and assure him that the war would be finished swiftly. 

Chungha didn’t return that night or ever again, but rain poured from the sky with the snow, something that should have been impossible. It wasn’t rain, Kun knew, but tears from the Moon who was mourning what her court might become and the fact that there was simply nothing she could do to help it. 

Tears of Kun’s own fell upon his pillow, mourning the fact that he had already veered from his path. That Death made it impossible for him to ever return. 

*

The shadows that lurked in the corners of Starfire threatened to swallow it whole during the witching hours. Jaehyun was not afraid, not the way some of his friends were, such as Johnny and Jeno. Johnny managed to flash charming smiles during the day time, playing the part of the laid back Seelie Lieutenant, but during the night time Jaehyun knew that his best friend was riddled with nightmares. He wondered if part of it had to do with the fact that a certain blue haired fae wasn’t there to share the bed with him. Jeno had grown distant, as quiet and unreachable as the ghosts and wraiths that should have also been one of Jaehyun’s worries. 

Jaehyun wasn’t worried, though. At least, not about the same things his friends seemed to concern themselves with. 

He strode through the hallways with a self assured purpose, despite his awareness of just how far into the night it was. He wouldn’t be able to rest, not for awhile, not until he could get the images of that snarling witch out of his head. Not until he could bury the conversation he had with his soldiers after the party; they had debated for hours about the best course of action. Jaehyun had been one of the few of them that had wanted to grab Kun and flee as far away as possible, to run to a land where no one knew their names. Any place that they could perhaps hide away for as long as it took for the war to pass over. 

“Commander.”

The purr slid down Jaehyun’s spine like a lover’s caress, something he had not felt in a very long time. Duties and obligations came first, after all. The single word was enough to pull him out of his spiraling thoughts, though. He supposed that he should have been grateful to the person who had done so, but knowing who it was, Jaehyun felt more dread than anything else.

“Doyoung.” Jaehyun greeted the other fae, turning to face him with a carefully blank face. A matter of only two days, and yet, he had already learned that it was better not to betray anything he might be feeling. The Unseelie could be kind, but the Seelie had done absolutely nothing to warrant that kindness so far.

The dark haired fae, who was perhaps one of the most unkind of them all, strode towards Jaehyun with an unhurried pace. None of his usual companions were with him and it was odd to Jaehyun. He had become accustomed to them being in a pack together, prowling the halls and leering at those who passed. He was dusted in pale glitter that was almost indistinguishable in the darkness and his inky hair was ruffled as if someone had run their fingers through his hair multiple times.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” Doyung questioned when he finally reached a comfortable distance in which he would not have to shout to be heard. “I know you and your soldiers train awfully early every morning.” 

Jaehyun didn’t ask how the other man knew that, decided that he didn’t want to know. “Sleep wouldn’t find me.”

“That’s typical here. Many of us prefer the night time opposed to the day time, but I thought, since you are made of sun and sea water, that you would not carry the same sentiments.” Doyoung paused, as if considering something, before continuing. “I suppose not. Your kind has been seen lurking around the castle in the deepest hours of the night.”

“This is only our second night,” Jaehyun said, despite the tightness of his muscles that urged him to run or fight or  _ do something _ . He had to remind himself that Doyoung was not a threat; he was a lord and he was one of Prince Ten’s closest friend’s. 

Doyoung barked out a laugh that was much too pretty to belong to a creature of darkness and Death. “You’ll be staying many more nights though, Commander. And surely, my friends and I will catch more glimpses of you and yours getting into trouble.”   
  


“Is that what you think we do?” Jaehyun couldn’t help but ask. “Get into trouble?”

“No,” Doyoung replied, and it seemed shockingly honest, not that Jaehyun could trust that. He was sure that the Unseelie were awfully practiced in lies and deceit. “But maybe you could do with a little more trouble in your life.”

Voices drifted to them from a corridor nearby and Jaehyun knew that the moment that those courtiers arrived upon them, their idle conversation would end. Doyoung was more than likely drunk, perhaps the only reason he was being docile and kind towards the commander, but it didn’t mean that the conversation they were having wasn’t telling. The words the warrior lord spoke may have been the ramblings of a drunk man, but to Jaehyun, they were merely half-concealed riddles he was desperate to solve.

“Have you spoken to any of the ghosts yet?” Doyoung asked suddenly, his obsidian eyes sparkling with something like  _ delight. _ Jaehyun wondered how the man standing before him could be the same that tore into enemies’ throats with ease. 

“The ghosts? They can talk?” Jaehyun blinked several times, wondering if this was all a dream or a myriad. 

Doyoung raised a single eyebrow, seemingly perplexed by the question being asked of him. “Of course they can. They’re shy most of the time, but they’re lovely. They used to talk to us all the time when we were kids.” A dark look passed over his face as he said, “Once we became monsters, they spoke to us less. And we never did find Ten’s mom.”

Jaehyun went still, the kind of still he only went when he realized there was danger near and if he was going to survive then he would need to assess the situation first. He didn’t get the chance to sofly tell Doyoung that he should head to bed, that he should forget about ghosts and Seelie fae. Not when a lovely woman with plump cheeks and midnight blue hair had already approached with hurried steps, and was cupping Doyoung’s cheeks, speaking to him in a rapid tongue that Jaehyun didn’t recognize. She must have been from a different country and had taught the court how to speak her language, because Doyoung seemed to understand every word she fired at him.

After a moment, probably once she had made sure that the lord was okay, she turned to face Jaehyun with a somewhat grim smile.

“Go back to your rooms, Seelie Commander,” she said, her voice gentle enough that it reminded him of the rolling tides across the beach back at home. His very bones quivered at the thought, at the memory, as if urging Jaehyun to walk all the way back to Kortrana. “There are things that you should not see that only come out at these hours.”

“Will he be okay? Jaehyun asked tentatively.

The look the woman cut to him was bone chilling, despite her warm and welcoming demeanor. “Lord Doyoung’s welfare is none of your business, Commander Jung. I will not say this again before I report you to your Lieutenant.  _ Go back to your room _ .” 

Jaehyun wasn’t sure what the woman was capable of, no matter how nice she may have seemed, and he didn’t want to take any chances after what he had witnessed at the party. He turned quickly, stomach roiling as he hurried to return to the quarters he shared with the other soldiers.

He didn’t walk away fast enough, apparently, because he managed to catch muttered words between the woman and Doyoung.

“Ellia,” Doyoung whined, no longer a monster that ghosts turned from but a boy who had made friends with those ghosts. “Why were we never able to find her?”

The woman - Ellia - replied with a shaking voice, “Because she does not wish to be found, my boy. She doesn’t want to see you like  _ this _ .”

The words were both soothing and harsh at the same time, and for the boy that had been turned into something hardened and cruel, for the mother who would never visit her son again, Jaehyun let the tears he had been holding in all night fall.

Johnny was wracked with nightmares in his sleep, but perhaps the Unseelie lived in one. 

*

The heirs and warriors and soldiers and lords did not make it to breakfast the next morning and no one questioned them, not even the ghosts who could see and hear everything. Especially not those ghosts, who witnessed all, and for it pitied the living. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hewwo thank you for reading it means so much! i hope this story gives you some context to the world and certain characters. as always if you have any questions or predictions or just wanna say hey, please pop into the comments or my ccs its always greatly appreciated. thank you a million times over.
> 
> if you wanna talk or hang out here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) and [curious cat](https://t.co/0W7CyOjNRV?amp=1)


	7. VII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questions better left unasked, memories better left untouched.

A little over a week into Kun’s stay with the Unseelie found him wandering one of their many gardens, aimlessly and restlessly. The garden was probably a sight to behold during the warmer months of Eplyae, but as winter rapidly approached, many of the plants were withering. Where beautiful flowers may have once bloomed, petals fell and flaked away to the hard ground, where the grass had even begun to recede. He hadn’t fully adjusted to the chilly weather yet, and found himself constantly wrapping up in several layers in order to provide some semblance of warmth.

He made sure to step over the fallen petals with care, as if they were fallen bodies instead.

Kun realized he must have wandered further into the gardens than he had expected when the sound of steel on steel reached him. He blinked, once then twice, then hurried his steps until he had reached the small clearing. It was big enough that Kun suspected a fountain had once stood there for strolling courtiers to admire, and perhaps it had fallen apart over time or the Unseelie hadn’t found much use for it anymore.

Either way, it provided the perfect space and obscurity for Ten and his friends to parry and spar with each other. Kun knew he should have walked away, pretended that he hadn’t seen anything at all, but there was something captivating in their movements. It was less of a battle, more of a dance. The fae who had held Morena down was sparring with the wild red haired one; the dark haired one kept a face as shielded as his heart and the red haired one grinned with wild abandon, laughter filling the clearing.

Ten, standing on the side lines with the other two members of their merry little band, watched intently, his eyes lit up with delight. His other two companions followed the couple’s movements closely, but they didn’t seem to take the same joy out of it that their prince did. The tangerine haired one cocked his head and giggled when the red haired one barely missed a blow, and the one with eye’s of obsidian seemed to glow with mischief and amusement. Kun was completely entranced, enough so that he didn’t notice when the one with eyes of obsidian crossed the small clearing and obscured his view.

His smile was kind enough, but there was a sharpness underlying it. “Your Highness,” he said with the practiced politeness of a courtier. “Don’t you think it’s rude to watch something that is not for your eyes?”   
  


“Is that what this is?” Kun asked, forgetting for a moment who exactly he was speaking to. 

“Doyoung.” A voice that was both cruel and sensual, Prince Ten’s voice. “Don’t be so hostile. Prince Kun is more than welcome to join us if he wishes to.” Ten seemed to appear beside his friend - Doyoung - with no precedent whatsoever, with a smile that Kun couldn’t read. “Sicheng and Yuta are my favorite to watch too, I can’t blame you.”

“Sicheng and Yuta?” Kun questioned, trailing off slightly. It wasn’t really what he wanted to ask; he had a million other questions, but it didn’t seem like the right time to ask it. 

Ten rested a hand on Kun’s arm, guiding him around Doyoung over to the boy with hair like a sunset and a smile like a warning. The fae smiled at him, beautiful and dangerous, before focusing once more on the spar that still hadn’t drawn to a close. Ten’s hand remained on Kun’s arm, even as his eyes fell once more on his friends that were battling with both focus and carelessness. 

“Sicheng is the one who helped kill Morena and Yuta is the one with hair like flames. They’re the best to watch because Sicheng is practical and careful, he is stone. Yuta, on the other hand, is like his hair. He’s fiery and wild, practiced well enough but  _ untamed _ . He’s untamed in a way we aren’t; untamed in the way that something that was once caged then free is,” Ten explained, his voice soft in a way Kun had not heard from him yet.

“If only Doyoung and I were half as entertaining to watch.” The fae beside Kun sighed wistfully, leaning on his sword with his bangs hanging in his face although he didn’t seem to mind it. Kun was beginning to think that he was the kind to care about very little, and he wasn’t sure if that made the angelic boy more dangerous or not.

“Oh.” Ten seemed momentarily surprised, eyes darting between Kun and his friend, as if just realizing that his friend was still standing there. “That’s Jungwoo. Don’t mind him. He has a wicked tongue.”

“As if you don’t?” Doyoung raised his eyebrows as he rejoined them, shoulders pulled back and his spine extremely straight. Kun observed him with reserved curiosity, wondering how a warrior and courtier managed to fit so neatly into one person. 

Ten ignored his friend’s jabbing comments, much too ensnared in watching Sicheng and Yuta as they began to slow. Their movements were less frenzied, much more languid, and at this point Kun could spot a smile forming on Sicheng’s face as well. Their mouths moved, the two managing to exchange words that could not be heard by the others over the sound of their swords meeting. Kun had never seen something so beautiful and practiced, not even when he watched Johnny and Jaehyun train.

This was a dance that’d had centuries to be practiced; both in this clearing and on a battlefield. The trust the two had in each other was unbreakable, that much clear even as Sicheng managed to throw Yuta off his rhythm and therefore off his feet. Even as he found himself on the ground, Yuta’s smile remained, and the way he  _ looked _ at Sicheng… Unseelie fae could feel love after all, then, if Sicheng and Yuta were anything to go by. 

Sicheng had his sword at Yuta’s throat, but the redhead was unperturbed, and with the ease of a man who was comfortable with death, Yuta leaned forward and kissed the tip of his love’s sword. Sicheng’s eyes danced with a light that Kun had yet to see from him, but perhaps that was because he hadn’t yet seen Sicheng with the man sprawled on the ground. Yuta knocked the sword away with a fluttering hand and pushed himself to his feet, and Sicheng stepped away, giving him the room to stretch and walk away. Sicheng followed his sparring partner’s every step with his eyes that still danced. 

Yuta did not start when he noticed that Kun had joined him, rather he dropped into a deep bow, shining sword scratching across the ground as he did so. “Your Highness. It’s nice to see you without your entourage herding you like cows.”

A flush spread across Kun’s cheeks then down his neck as he said, “They’re protective.”

Yuta smiled as if he knew something that Kun did not, as many of the Unseelie did. “Don’t you know how to take care of yourself?”

“The Seelie don’t train the royals or the nobility,” Sicheng intervened, stepping up beside Yuta. He didn’t look over at the man beside him, his focus completely on Kun, the gaze so intense that it seemed almost as if he was trying to unravel something deep inside the prince. “They don’t believe in such things as we do. They believe in academics and the gods.”

“I don’t,” Kun said, without much thought. Sicheng’s eyebrows shot up and Ten’s eyes fell upon him, seemingly questioning. He paused before clarifying, “I don’t believe in the gods, all that much. Not anymore.”

He didn’t bother explaining why he had given up on the gods, why he believed that the gods had given up on him first. 

“We love our gods here,” Doyoung said, his voice clear cut and merely factual. “You wouldn’t know. Since your court believes us to be brutes who believe in nothing but death and violence.” He pulled a pendant from beneath his shirt, allowing the pendant to swing freely. He tapped a finger against it, allowing it to fall still against his chest once more, the silver of it gleaming in the afternoon sun. The pendant was of a lion with a mane with thorns and roses, roaring. 

“Amther, the Goddess of Beauty and Wild Things,” Doyoung explained before Kun could bother to ask. “This is her symbol. It was given to me when I was just a boy, by someone I love very much. She’s very loved here because many believe us to be  _ her  _ wild things.”

“I’d had no idea.” Kun truthfully didn’t have any clue that the children of the moon had sworn themselves to certain gods too. He knew of Amther, of course he did, as he had learned about all the gods when he was young, and he thought that it would make sense for the Unseelie to feel fondness towards her. “Do you worship her?”

Doyoung’s lips twitched slightly. “The old Unseelie Queen swore her fealty to Amther. Queen Qing loved Amther, and Amther loved her back. For Amther’s kindness to Her Majesty, we continue to worship her. Specifically, myself and Ten.”

Kun looked at Ten at that, but Ten wasn’t looking at him or any of them. His eyes were on the pendant, on the lion that was both beautiful and wild. Kun thought he had never met someone who was as beautiful and wild than Ten, and if perhaps, that was partly why Ten felt a connection to the goddess who had offered his mother protection. He didn’t dare ask what had happened to the old queen; it was not something anyone outside of the castle knew, not even the people of the Unseelie. 

“Personally,” Yuta intervened, as if sensing the gloomy atmosphere that had begun to blanket them. “I am fond of Xinir.”

“You’re just fond of  _ fire _ ,” Sicheng spat, but his eyes held no heat in them. It was the bickering and bantering of a friend, not a courtier prepared to rip into another.    
  


“Do you possess fire?” Kun asked, suddenly very aware of the fact that he had truly no idea what kind of powers any of these fae carried.

Yuta smiled slow, with an intent that Kun could not recognize. “Yes. But not any fire you have seen before, Your Highness. Not the fire that your court members may carry. The fire of the sun right? Mine is not that. Mine is wildfire. It’s not gold and orange, but red and blue.”

“It is beautiful,” Sicheng said so softly that Kun wondered if he had even meant to say the words at all. He also wondered if he meant the fire or the bearer of that fire was pretty, but he didn’t dare ask. 

Ten intervened carefully, in the way he did when it seemed that tensions between his friends may grow too high, and Kun admired him for the way that he was able to read a situation that well. “Perhaps we should head inside and get cleaned up before dinner,” the Unseelie prince said with a smile that was nothing short of dazzling. 

A few grumbles of complaints came from his friends, but none of them argued, rather simply gathering their swords and heading back towards the castle. Ten began to follow them, watching them with a fond smile, as the group of fae laughed and shoved each other good naturedly. While Ten watched them, Kun could not help but return the favor to Ten, admiring as if he were an expensive piece of art that had happened to fall into Kun’s hands.

Ten wasn’t art, though. If he was, then he was art in the form of weaponry, like the swords that Kun’s father hung in his office. They were decorations, but they were still deadly, no matter how you framed them or hung them up. If they fell from the wall, soaring through the air, and cut through the king, it was still death that the swords would create. If Kun were to tear one off the wall, and cut out the heart of a man, it would still be of use. It didn’t matter how much the swords were polished or how locked up they were kept, their intent would remain. The thought chilled Kun to the bone, how in the castle, Ten was a sword hanging on the wall, but in battle he was that sword being put in action for its intended use.

“Is there something wrong, Your Highness?” Ten asked, his eyebrows shooting up as he realized that Kun wasn’t walking with him.

“What’s it like?” Kun responded with a question of his own, not even taking a moment to think about the consequences of asking such things. “To be so dangerous, to be a  _ weapon _ of death and destruction, but to know that you’re not allowed to unleash yourself on someone without permission? Is it not like being contained to a cage?”

Ahead of them, Ten’s friends had frozen, having heard the question the Kun had been stupid enough to ask. Ten was also frozen, his dark eyes searing a hole through Kun’s head. It struck him that he should have been ashamed or at least regretful that he had asked, but he wasn’t, not when he couldn’t begin to fathom how Ten managed to stay sane. It was one thing for Kun to be confined to Sunburst, where sunlight danced along the walls and the sea breeze danced in his hair. It was another for Ten to be confined to a fortress, only allowed to show his true nature in a hidden away part of a forgotten garden. 

“It’s not what you think it is,” Ten replied after what felt like an eon of silence. “It’s not that I’m being contained. It’s that I’ve chosen to remain contained. If I were to walk onto that battlefield right now, Prince Kun, I could not say that either side would make it out alive nor would I, because I may just unleash myself in a way we didn’t know was possible. War is about making sacrifices. This is my sacrifice, to play the good prince instead of the best warrior there’s been since Chungha’s time. What is  _ your  _ sacrifice, Your Highness?” 

Ten had nothing more to say, it seemed. He turned from Kun, quickly, and paced over to his friend’s but didn’t stop even then. The Unseelie prince didn’t stop until he had disappeared into the tangles of the dying garden, until he had made it deep into Starfire, where the ideals of war and death did not seem so insanely tempting. Where the idea of avenging the mother he had barely gotten to know was not something that pressed against his skin so hard it burned.

Kun stood in the clearing, staring and staring. For as long as Ten walked, Kun remained standing. None of Ten’s friends bothered to ask him if he was okay, and Kun couldn’t blame them, not when he had set off their prince. It seemed that whatever he thought he had been asking, was not what Ten thought he was asking, and that there was no fixing it. The only one out of the cohort of fae who bothered to even look at Kun before hurrying away was Yuta. Fire flickered in his eyes, not of anger rather it was pity. 

Kun ached and ached as he watched them walk away, their steps sure and hurried. They had to clean up the mess that Kun had made, because Kun didn’t know how to talk to Ten. He didn’t know how to talk to a lover at all, not that Ten was necessarily a lover, but he was close enough to one that Kun had found himself entirely lost in how to navigate conversations with him. He had only wished to know how Ten managed to stay confined for so long without tearing the walls down, without screaming battle cries and shedding blood, without wishing that he could tear off his own skin if only to get some relief. Kun had only wanted to know, because it was over a week of remaining inside the walls of Starfire, and he burned. He needed out out out out. 

Kun’s fingers were numb from the cold that was setting in, indicating that night was drawing near, and his ears felt positively frozen. It didn’t matter as he sunk to the ground, onto his knees, hands pressed together as he had in that temple of Elios on the day his entire world had turned upside down. He sat in the dead grass, muttering prayers not to Elios or any god he was so familiar with in Kortrana, but Amther.

He didn’t have much to ask of her other than to release him and his betrothed. 

She didn’t give him an answer, but he thought he might have heard the mighty howl of a wolf drift through the air, as beautiful as it was wild. 

*

Jeno had fallen asleep in the library. Not that he could recall why he had ventured to the library, or if he had been with Mark and Yukhei when he did it. He figured that the latter was awfully unlikely, considering the fact that Mark and Yukhei had used such a break from training everyday to wrap themselves around each other. Jeno had wanted to be bitter about it, to make fun of them and gripe at them that they used to be a trio, but he couldn’t find it in himself to talk to them much these days. He didn’t join them on their adventures or their talks about how much they missed Vernon and Felix and what they would give to return to the beach. 

They didn’t bother asking why he was so withdrawn either, so he supposed that made them even in a way.

Jeno stretched out, arms above his head and his toes curling in his shoes, as he began to sit up in the armchair he had managed to ball himself up into. He wasn’t that tall by any means, but he also wasn’t that small, and so he wasn’t that shocked by the aches and pains that pricked through his body. He decided sleeping in an armchair like that was something he would have to avoid doing in the future. 

His eyes had just adjusted to the decreasing sunlight streaming through the window when he noticed there was someone in the armchair across from him. He blinked once then twice to make sure that it wasn’t a figment of his imagination or something left over from a dream. After a moment, he sank back into the chair, admitting to himself that it wasn’t a dream or a delusion, but merely his fucked reality.

“Your Highness,” he said in a voice that wasn’t much more than a squeak. He winced and cleared his throat, deciding to blame it on the unplanned nap he had taken.

Prince Renjun didn’t seem to bother or notice the state of Jeno’s voice, his eyes totally focused on the book he was reading. His attention did not waver from the book, even as he responded with, “Jeno.”

“You know my name?” Jeno squinted his eyes at the prince, wondering just what else the Unseelie may know as well.

“Should I not?” Renjun replied in kind, his head tilting to the side slightly even if he was still staring at his book intently. “Besides, if you don’t want me to know it, then tell your noisy friends to keep quiet.”

Jeno blinked then blushed, realizing that the younger courtiers must have shouted his name loud enough in the kitchen the other day for others to hear, including the prince sitting before him. He didn’t need to look behind Renjun to know that the Laminae were there, standing straight backed behind the armchair. He did look, though, and was shocked to see that they weren’t standing as resolutely and respectfully as he would have expected. Jaemin had his fingers curled at Donghyuck’s side, the both of them giggling even though Donghyuck was the one being tickled. 

Renjun must have noticed where Jeno’s gaze had gone as he snapped his book shut and leaned forward, invading Jeno’s personal space. His lips were twisted into what could have been a smirk but just as easily could have been a snarl. He didn’t look over his shoulder as he ran a hand over Jeno’s shoulder, comforting in a way that it truly shouldn’t have been.

“They’re pretty, aren’t they?” Renjun asked, his wide eyes too innocent for what he was inquiring. “It’s hard not to look. I should know. I have been looking for centuries.” He turned in his seat, hand falling away from Jeno’s shoulder. His entire body rested against the arm of the chair, his eyes focused completely on the giggling boys behind him.

It was the first time Jeno had seen any of the Unseelie so relaxed, as if the Laminae were a balm to Renjun’s soul. All signs of the cruel boy he had been a moment previously, taunting Jeno with something he could never have, had disappeared. He was just a boy; a boy who was very in love, his eyes shining and his mouth spreading into a genuine smile of contentment.

“If you tickle him too much he’ll wet himself,” Renjun interjected, catching Jaemin’s wrist with an ease that told Jeno he had done so a thousand times and would so a thousand times more. It hurt Jeno’s heart to watch, a couple that had once been flickering through his mind at the gesture; a couple that would be no more, that would never have a place in the world again. 

Renjun’s fingers rubbed circles at Jaemin’s wrist, the wrist that bore his mark that promised anything and everything to the prince. The prince brought the wrist towards his mouth and pressed a long kiss to that very mark, as if it was a thank you for everything Jaemin had done and would do for him. Their eye contact never broke, Renjun’s eyes simmering with something dangerous and Jaemin brimming with a light like no other. Jeno’s heart lurched, as if it was trying to escape the scene in front of it, if only to prevent Jeno from the tumult of memories that wanted to sear through him. And yet, they were not his memories, they were no one but his prince’s, but the pain was still felt through all of them with every single day that passed.

A hand with callouses but a gentle touch found Jeno’s face, fingers running along the sharp planes of it.

The hand pulled back, and the fingers were wet; wet with Jeno’s tears, he realized belatedly. How embarrassing, to cry in front of such creatures that couldn’t possibly understand what he felt and why he felt it. 

“Is something wrong?” Donghyuck questioned, bringing his fingers to his mouth and licking the tears away as if it were nothing more than frosting. “Did we do something to offend you?”

Renjun was out of his seat faster than Jeno could blink, the lithe boy kneeling beside his guard. It struck Jeno as odd for a moment, to see the two at the same level, kneeling on the ground before him. And not just before him but  _ for  _ him. The first time he had met them, he had kneeled to them, bowed as deeply as he could manage despite the betrayal it was.

Renjun’s fingers were not as gentle as Donghyuck, they gripped Jeno’s chin. His mouth was set in decidedly a snarl this time, inspecting the soldier with intensity that had Jeno wanting to curl up against the cushions of his chair.

“Did someone do something to you?” Renjun asked, but it was not protective and it certainly wasn’t worried. He was neither of those things, rather infuriated that someone might disobey the ancient command he had spoken in that forgotten hallway of Chungha’s quarters. 

“No,” Jeno spat out quickly, ripping away from Renjun’s grip quick enough that the nails of the prince tore at the underside of his chin. He ignored the sharp but quick pain that formed there. A snarl of his own was beginning to form, despite just who he was talking to. “No one has done anything to me. Not that it is any of your business, Your Highness. I think I’ll be going now.”

Donghyuck caught Jeno’s wrist, keeping him from walking off, leaving Jeno hovering awkwardly between the chair and Renjun. Renjun merely stared at him, his eyes blank enough to indicate that he was wearing a mask and that he would not be revealing his true feelings for Jeno. Jeno would have begun to shake where he stood if it were not for the tremendous anger and emotional pain he was feeling. It was one thing to watch Johnny and Taeyong or Mark and Yukhei because they were each one entity and they had been forever, they would continue to be. It was another to see another couple, especially when they had the freedom to be so open about their love. 

“Let me go,” Jeno said quietly, his eyes focused on the floor. He didn’t want to look at any of them, afraid that they might be able to see something in his eyes he wasn’t willing to explain to  _ anyone  _ let alone them. 

“You should apologize to the prince,” Jaemin said and it was not in the voice he had used with his loves.

“ _ You  _ should mind your own business,” Jeno barked without thinking, not even aware of his actions, just the blinding emotions that had seized him without warning. With the same lack of warning, Jeno was pushed back into the armchair, but not by one ofthe Laminae. Renjun’s eyes flashed with the same warning signs that his siblings’ eyes flashed with his, and his teeth were revealed as he growled.

Darkness and shadows clustered around him, as if eager to soothe their owner by petting at him and easing his feelings. Renjun didn’t seem to notice, not with his hands holding Jeno down and his mouth close enough in distance to tear Jeno’s throat out. He would deserve it if the prince did so, he’d had no true reason to be so rude, not when they had been as friendly as the Unseelie could be expected to be. 

“Talk to my guards like that again, Lee Jeno, and protection or not I will kill you myself,” he hissed with such conviction that Jeno knew his life was at threat.

“Let me go,” Jeno croaked miserably, unable to wrap his mind around what he had done when all he wanted was to be in Kun’s arms. Sweet, lovely Kun, who never seemed to ache like the others did over what they had lost. Prince Kun who’d had no choice but to wear his crown and a smile, as if his soul had not been splintered and lost to the sea.

The sea. Jeno missed the sea so much it hurt, his soul screaming and searching for an expanse of water so large and so deep that it could drown these unending sorrows.

Renjun stepped away, as if he realized he was holding down not a broken man, but a broken boy who had not pieced himself back together in time to become a man. The anger that had been tangible a moment before was gone, and instead, it seemed as if Renjun was looking at Jeno with something akin to familiarity. As if he understood how Jeno felt and why he felt it. The prince slinked back to his chair, and as if he didn’t care about anything, rested his circlet upon Jaemin’s head who seemed as if this was normal for him.

“Donghyuck, might you call for some tea for us,” Renjun said and there was no heat in the words, just pure command and maybe fondness. “We have quite a bit of talking to do with Jeno.” 

Jeno blinked, not understanding, but the smile Jaemin gifted him was enough that Jeno didn’t question it. He had never been given a smile like that; angelic and sweet enough that Jeno felt it wrap around himself like a blanket, a much needed blanket.

He couldn’t help but wonder what it felt like to have that. Smiles that meant warmth and the urge to protect your loves so fiercely that you would kill and laughter in the late afternoon. He couldn’t help but wonder if the rest of his court and himself would ever find that, or if they had been condemned to the sea with her oddities and irregularities for the rest of their lives.

He didn’t dare ask, too afraid to find what the answer might be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if any of the reactions in this seem extreme recall this is a time of high tensions with many people who dont know each other AT ALL and their are aspects of their pasts that you dont know yet uwu. but if you have any questions concerns comments theories please comment or hit up my cc i love talking to you guys.
> 
> if you wanna talk or hang out here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) and [curious cat](https://t.co/0W7CyOjNRV?amp=1)


	8. VIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sadness and secrets are an everlasting presence.

“Is something wrong, Kunnie?” Jaehyun was smiling at Kun as if his prince hadn’t been blanking out for the last several minutes. It was a few days after Kun’s interaction with Ten, and he had spent most of his time with his friends, which was both a relief and a little suffocating. His friends meant well, but ever since leaving Kortrana, they had taken on a whole new meaning to the word overbearing. 

Kun blinked to clear away the haze of thoughts in his head and managed to smile back at the commander. “No, I’m okay. I was just thinking.”

Johnny nudged Kun with one of his broad shoulders, nearly toppling Kun over from the force of it. It was just like Johnny to forget just how much strength he truly possessed, and somehow, the thought warmed Kun, almost tricked him into believing that it was just another early morning stroll in Sunburst. 

“What are you thinking about?” Johnny raised his eyebrows, crinkles forming around his eyes as a smile took form on his face. Watching Johnny smile was like watching the sun rise. 

“I was thinking that I would really appreciate it if you and Jaehyun would train me,” Kun said with a soft sigh edging the words. Kun continued walking, but Jaehyun and Johnny froze, gaping at their prince. Kun turned and raised his eyebrows at his friends, silently urging them to keep walking, but neither moved an inch. They were both much too busy staring at Kun, bemused, as if they were trying to reconcile the words that had been said with the man who spoke them. 

“Kun.” Johnny rested a firm but comforting hand on Kun’s shoulder. “Where is this coming from?” His voice was gentle as if he was speaking to a child and a spike of bitterness went through Kun as he wondered if Taeyong had taught him that certain trick. 

“It’s coming from the fact that we’re at war and I haven’t trained in  _ decades _ ,” Kun hissed out, urgent but quiet. The hallway wasn’t a place to start an argument, he knew that much at least. 

Jaehyun stepped in, sensing the rising frustration in his friend. “You showed no interest in it. You preferred books to swords, you said so yourself.”

“That was before,” Kun said somewhat stiffly. “This is now.”

Neither seemed to have much of a rebuttal for that, not that it necessarily meant if they agreed or not. It didn’t matter, though, because he was their prince and they’d practically been given orders. No further questions or protests were exchanged, because there was none left to be had. 

That was how Kun had found himself in one courtyard out of many at Starfire, a sword in his hand and his body clothed in unfamiliar clothes that Jaehyun had loaned him. The clothes were simple, made for training and fighting, and hung around Kun a little too big, not that he minded. The scent of sea water and citrus, Jaehyun’s scent, clung to the clothes and wafted around Kun in a comforting manner. He clung to it, fully aware that it would be his  _ only  _ semblance of comfort during this training session.

Kun hadn’t lied when he said that he hadn’t trained in decades, not since his parents and himself decided that the crown prince didn’t need to bother himself with battlefield training but rather war policies. The sword in his hand was an unfamiliar weight, one that he hadn’t expected to get reacquainted with anytime soon. Yet, Sicheng’s words from the clearing had followed Kun for days, leaving an itchy sensation across his skin.

“Kun,” Johnny’s drawl was amused, despite everything, as he sized up his prince. “You can’t stand there all day.”

Kun wanted to argue that seeing as he was crown prince of the Seelie, he could do whatever he damn well pleased, but it didn’t seem like the right time. Not with Mark Lee, the boy that Kun had helped to raise, standing before him with a sword of his own. Mark was much more confident in the way he held his sword, his stance sure and proud, as if he was merely training a novice that had just joined the Royal Guard. The thought was a sour one, not that Mark seemed to notice, with his sweet and encouraging grin.

“It’s okay, Kunnie!” Chenle called from the sidelines, blond hair pushed back from his face by the wind. He was missing his jacket, the garment thrown across Jisung like a blanket, who was sprawled across Chenle and Jeno’s laps, presumably napping. Yangyang was much too restless to join them on the ground, and instead was playfully brawling with Yukhei at which he had no chance in truly winning. Taeyong and Taeil were sitting with Johnny and Jaehyun, all four of them observing Kun carefully. 

Taeyong had taken the privacy from all the prying eyes and curled up against Johnny’s side, their fingers interlocked in Johnny’s lap. Taeil and Jaehyun merely sat in restful positions, as if for once, they didn’t mind the idea of relaxing. A flash of anger and pity ran through Kun at the fact that his friends were so tired and that it was because of him and the Unseelie. 

The thought was enough to propel Kun forward, for him to bring his sword towards Mark. Mark, for his part, seemed absolutely delighted and not put off at all. Most other soldiers would have hesitated at least slightly, since it was commonly thought that bringing your sword against the prince was an act of treason. It wasn’t, Kun should know from the all the times he had skimmed through the law books, searching for loopholes and answers he would never find. 

Kun didn’t really have much idea what he was doing other than he knew he should be trying to strike Mark. He was failing at that, even, the soldier dancing and ducking away from any advances that Kun tried to make. He couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed, especially with the way the youngers were giggling and tittering amongst themselves, as if they had expected Kun to fail so spectacularly. 

“Fix your posture, you need to stand straighter and bend your knees more. Don’t put all your energy into offense, save some of it for your defense,” a voice barked commands at Kun. But it wasn’t Johnny or Jaehyun. It was the voice of fae that was stone against raging water; unbreakable and solid. The same who had criticized the Seelie for their inability to properly train their higher ranks. 

Kun felt relief go through him at the fact that at least Sicheng, who was tough but kind enough, would not laugh at him. He took the instructions in a stride, fixing his structure and taking a step back, allowing Mark to approach instead. Mark came at with him the smirk he only ever used when he was trying to annoy Kun, but Kun didn’t allow it to bother him in the moment. He sidestepped the advance, turned as quick as he dared and raised the sword.

Mark had already brought his sword up to meet Kun’s, and the two swords came together for the first time since they started their pitiful spar, the sound sharper against Kun’s ears than when Sicheng and Yuta had been sparring. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that one of the swords was in his hands, it had been him who had contributed to making that cacophony. 

Mark’s grin was sharp, tempting. “Good job,” he said in a light tone. “I didn’t think my sword would ever get any action.”

Kun gritted his teeth, his arms already beginning to ache, and shoved hard at Mark’s sword until the younger gave a step and dropped his own sword, swinging once more. Kun raised his sword to strike again, but a hand had rested on Kun’s shoulder, halting his movements. Kun brought his eyes up, meeting Jungwoo’s.

“Would you mind terribly if I took your place?” Jungwoo asked Mark, his voice sugar cane sweet. Mark narrowed his eyes slightly, and it didn’t escape Kun’s attention that Yukhei had materialized at his side, his gaze just as suspicious. Jungwoo’s lips slipped into a pout, transforming his entire dangerous demeanor into something that was much more childlike. His expression did not match the words that came out of his mouth. “If I had wanted to harm or maim your prince, I would have done so already.”

Jaehyun stiffened across the courtyard, finding his way to his feet, and Johnny gripped Taeyong tighter while his other hand found the pommel of his sword. The other soldiers in the courtyard became just as alert, Yangyang and Jeno darting forward to stand with Mark and Yukhei. Jisung remained asleep in Chenle’s lap, and the blond gripped his friend tightly, staring at Jungwoo with something akin to horror in his eyes.

_ Close your eyes, sing a song _ , Kun wanted to say to Chenle, as he often did when they were both younger and fights would arise in the castle. Not here, not now, could he do that for the boy. And he wasn’t even a boy anymore, he was close to fully grown, and fiercely protective of his friends at that. 

The one thing Kun could do, though, was resolve the situation that had arisen. Jungwoo hadn’t meant to set off the others with his words, that much he was certain of, it just seemed as if the Unseelie fae figured that would soothe the others rather than upset them. To a group of Unseelie, those words  _ would  _ have been soothing, but not to Kun’s court.

“It’s okay, Markie,” Kun said softly, his gaze focused on Mark and Mark alone. “Jungwoo is Prince Ten’s friend. I met him the other day. He won’t hurt me.” 

Mark and the others seemed unconvinced, but Sicheng had joined them at Jungwoo’s side now, his dark eyes staring down the kids. He was unwavering, especially as he said, “I’m Sicheng, or Winwin to most. I’m a part of the Royal Guard sometimes but mostly I belong to Ten’s legion. I won’t let your prince get hurt but it doesn’t mean I won’t stop Jungwoo from hurting  _ you _ if you don’t move.” 

Jaehyun called out to them then, his voice firm, instructing them to stand down. Johnny seemed relieved at the fact that he didn’t have to do so himself, and slumped against his love, who rubbed soothing circles along Johnny’s arm as if that might help relieve the stress that they had both taken on. Mark stared at Jungwoo for a long moment, something sparking in his eyes that frightened Kun; something he had only seen a few times before on Mark, something that was akin to a threat.

Yukhei gripped at Mark, leading him away and over to where Jaehyun was. Jaehyun brushed them both over to the wall, sitting with them as if he might act as a physical barrier if suddenly his warriors decided to ignore their commands. No such thing would ever happen, they obeyed Jaehyun and Johnny every time. 

Jungwoo ignored the chaos he had caused, a delighted grin forming on his face. Sicheng nodded, as if he had expected the interaction to go as such, and joined Yuta and Doyoung where they stood. Neither of their faces betrayed anything other than boredom, but Kun was sure he saw delight dancing in Yuta’s eyes. Delight from the spar that was about to occur or from how close they had come to drawing blood, Kun couldn’t say. 

Either way, Kun faced his new opponent and raised his sword. Jungwoo raised his own, eyes gleaming as if he were trying to communicate with Kun, as if trying to say  _ this ought to be fun _ . 

*

Hours later, Kun found himself alone in his rooms. Every part of his body ached, which didn’t make much sense unless he considered how many times Jungwoo then Doyoung threw him to the ground while his court watched on. There was no more giggling or teasing from his friends, merely wide eyes and winces everytime Kun made a mistake. Once they had finished, the Unseelie lurked off to wherever they liked to go and Kun dismissed his friends to do whatever they pleased. He needed alone time and a good bath, but if he worded it as such, then he was doomed to be fussed over by Taeyong and Taeil. As it was, the two had eyed him with barely concealed worry before the soldiers had ushered him away.

Kun had just finished his bath and flopped onto his bed, his robe slipping along his body and revealing his skin to the warm blankets. He winced slightly, having not expected the sensation, before sighing into the softness of the bed. He laid there for all of a moment before there was a knock at his door, forcing him to rouse from his prone state. He tightened his robe around his waist as he tiptoed across the marble floor and peeked out his door, suspecting that it would be Taeyong or Taeil to come harass him. 

It was neither. 

The woman on the other door stood a little shorter than Kun himself, with dark eyes and midnight blue-black hair. Her lips tilted up slightly, as if amused by something regarding their current situation. Her face was youthful, but her eyes held centuries of knowledge, as most of the fae seemed. She didn’t ask to come in or ask Kun to come out, merely held out a hand with a folded piece of parchment in it.

“Your Highness,” she said, her voice honey sweet with the touch of an accent to it. Kun couldn’t recognize it; it wasn’t an accent of Eplyae or Kortrana, perhaps not one of Aswa at all. 

“Um,” he sounded stupid even to his own ears. “Thank you. Is it.. Who is it from?”

A dark eyebrow arched at him and she said, “Why don’t you read it and find out?”

Kun blushed then bowed his head in thanks, not trusting himself to speak in case he might say something dim again. The servant smiled, not kind or unkindly, and ducked into a curtsy that Kun wasn’t sure he deserved. He watched her retreat for a long moment then shoved the door closed and hurried to unfold the note. 

_ I require your presence. There’s wedding plans to be made. At your soonest convenience, please have the guard outside your rooms bring you to my office. _

_ Yours Truly, Ten _

Kun noted with no small amount of achievement that the prince hadn’t signed it with any titles, but merely his name. Kun could only hope that meant something, and something  _ good _ .

He dressed himself as quickly as he could manage with how sore his body was, then followed behind the guard who led him to Ten’s office with no questions asked. They didn’t talk during the entire walk, but Kun wasn’t necessarily bothered, too withdrawn inside his head. He couldn’t help but think about how he had accidentally offended the Unseelie prince and this was the first time he would see Ten after what he had said. It also didn’t slip by him that the purpose of their meeting was wedding planning; the wedding and marriage that had urged Kun to resent Ten to begin with.

After Morena and after the conversation with Chungha, Kun knew there was no use in fighting or hating. The stakes were too high for Kun’s personal feelings to ruin the engagement. 

When they arrived at the office, Kun hesitantly knocked on the door, the guard disappearing almost immediately after they arrived. A soft “come in” reached Kun, and he sighed to himself before pushing the door open and stepping inside. 

Ten sat behind a simple desk, round glasses sliding down the slim bridge of his nose as he squinted down at papers strewn across the workspace. He wondered how Ten managed to keep track of everything; with the way papers and books were thrown about the space near carelessly, it seemed there was no true organizational system. Kun thought, with a pang of longing, about his own office. His desk that carried the scent of the sea on it, and the wide windows that he left open, so he could listen to the waves crashing over the beach as he worked himself into an early grave.

_ It wasn’t always like that,  _ a voice whispered to Kun, but he ignored it and settled in the chair on the opposite side of the desk. 

“Good afternoon,” Kun said softly, hoping not to startle the other man despite having announced his presence by knocking. Ten lifted his eyes, offering the slightest of smiles, before swiping away the papers before him and reaching for a different stack. 

He didn’t return Kun’s greeting as he spread the papers out in front of him. “My twin brought these to me. It seems that she’s a little more than excited to help us plan. She went ahead and looked into trivial matters like table arrangements and location. Things I could never even imagine you would need to think about for a wedding.”

Kun couldn’t help but to smile a little at that. Ten was right; there were aspects to weddings that slipped the mind until you sat down to plan one, namely your own. But Kun didn’t want to think about that, not ever but especially not when he was with his fiance. 

“I don’t think you’re ready to hear about the tedious place settings, then,” Kun said with ease he was not feeling in the moment. “If you’re familiar with war council, which I’m sure you are, it’s a little like that. One wrong move, and you’ll have a battle breaking out.”

Ten’s eyes widened, as if he hadn’t considered this. “If we sit the wrong people together they’ll fight? Even on our wedding day?” 

Kun didn’t know whether to laugh at the fact that Ten looked like a little boy who had just been told that dragons were extinct or whether he should cry over the phrase “our wedding day”. He didn’t allow either to win out, rather he smiled as kindly as he could and began to educate Ten on matters such as Wedding Politics, as Taeyong had once called it. Not much planning got done, the majority of their time focusing on what needed to be planned and what sort of things Ten was expected to avoid if he didn’t want disaster on the big day.

Kun felt he should have been grateful that Ten didn’t ask how he knew all of this about weddings. 

Time passed so rapidly that neither seemed to notice when the sun began dipping in the sky, not until Ten jolted upright in his seat and peered out his window. “Joy is going to kick my ass,” he said with zero precedent. He sighed once then peered at Kun. “I’m late for dinner with my siblings, otherwise I wouldn’t end this so abruptly.” He paused then added, “You should join us. They’ve been dying to learn more about you.” 

Kun wanted nothing more than to say no, to flee from the office and return to his room where he could cry until there were no more tears left in him. No wasn’t an answer, though, not in this situation. Not when an Unseelie prince was requesting his presence to join him with the other royals for dinner. Kun nodded stiffly, not even bothering to fix how fake his smile might be. 

Once again, Kun found himself in a situation that didn’t make sense; a situation he wasn’t even sure he had managed to get into in the first place. The Li siblings met for dinner in a private dining room, the table big enough to fit them all and then some, but still much smaller than the one that was kept in the main dining room. Princess Irene was already there, sitting at the head of the table, when Ten and Kun arrived.

Kun stood awkwardly by the door as Ten crossed the room and pressed a kiss to his older sister’s cheek. Her face, that had been glazed over as if she was deep in thought, transformed completely. She was not Princess Irene or the warrior that commanded the king’s largest legion; she was a big sister who completely adored her baby brother. She beamed, directed at Ten, reaching out to grasp his hand.

“I thought I was late,” Ten said, his eyes darting along the length of the table, noting the considerable lack of his siblings. Kun had also noticed, had also wondered if perhaps the others had lost track of time just like them. 

Irene’s lips came together in a thin line and Kun recognized it as the same disapproving look Taeyong gave Chenle and Jisung sometimes. She waved a hand dismissively, despite the look on her face. “They’ll be here soon. And if they’re not we’ll send Weiwei to retrieve them.”

Ten’s grin was slightly crooked as he said, “You  _ know  _ that is not what Weiqin was trained for.”

“Does it seem like I care?” Irene responded, lovely and witty, before lifting her wine glass and taking a long drink. Ten observed the action with concern flickering in his eyes, and his grip on her hand tightened as if he could anchor her.

“Sister, I brought a guest to dinner.” Ten gestured to Kun and Irene sat up straight in her chair, as if she had just realized that they had someone else joining them for the meal. “Don’t  _ do that _ ,” Ten insisted with a small roll of the eyes. A bratty baby brother if there ever was one, Kun thought to himself. “Kun will soon be family to us. Just as Jaemin and Donghyuck or Dejun or Yugyeom is. Act as you would around them.”

Irene pursed her lips, looked Kun over as if she was appraising a piece of art (not for its beauty but rather as if she was searching for a flaw). “Should I slap him on the head as I do to them?”

“Well, he’s not nearly as misbehaving as they are or even myself!” Ten argued, but he was smiling again and so was Irene. It was enough to convince Kun to approach and duck into a bow. Irene’s bracelets clicked together as she reached out, patted her hand on his head. It was soothing in a way Kun hadn’t expected it to be, and only reminded him of how her and Joy had protected him the night of Morena’s death.

“Take a seat, Your Highness,” she said, gesturing to the chairs closest to her. “I want you and Ten sitting by me tonight. I can’t promise I won’t throttle the others when they arrive.”

“Such sweet words of love, sister,” Joy crooned as she glided into the room. Her dark hair was unbound, falling around her in a waterfall of unending inkiness. Unlike her sister, she wasn’t garbed in a gown, but black leather pants and a skin tight black shirt to match. Widow Maker hung at her side, shining in the candle light, and her lips were crimson as usual. 

Irene cut her sister a glare that would have had Kun shaking where he stood. “Sit your ass down, Sooyoung.”

Joy laughed, beautiful and musical, before sliding into the seat beside her twin brother. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and Ten made a face of disgust but then gave her a smile that was full of light. Next to enter were the Terrors, both covered in dirt and wearing twin smiles of savagery. Hendery entered close behind them, his guard trailing right behind him. Shockingly, the guard took a seat beside Hendery after greeting the others. Last to arrive was Renjun and the Laminae, and Kun nearly wondered at how they had arrived in age order. 

The Laminae also took seats with Renjun and while Kun wondered over how personal guards had been invited to this dinner as well, he didn’t dare ask. Especially not when he saw the look that was exchanged between Hendery and his guard, as the guard leaned over the prince to grab the wine bottle. He poured some for his prince first and then some for himself, but Kun suspected serving Hendery before himself had little to do with rank. Not with the way that the guard stared at Hendery, as if the prince had hung the moon and the stars.

“Kun,” Renjun spoke up, stealing food from one of the Laminae’s plates. “Since my siblings are rude, I’ll introduce you to those who you may not be so familiar with.” First he gestured to the warrior on his left, “This is Jaemin.” Then the warrior on his right, “This is Donghyuck.” His eyes finally settled on Hendery’s guard, his lips quirking slightly at the sight of them. “And that’s Dejun.”

“We’re not rude,” BamBam interjected before Kun had the chance to speak to the Laminae or Dejun. “We just let them speak for themselves. Your parasites have brains and mouths of their own.”

Donghyuck grinned, only slightly, a bit wolfishly. “That’s a new one. I don’t think Jaemin and I have been called parasites just yet.”

“I like it,” Jaemin decided, laughter dancing in his eyes. He wasn’t fully concentrated on the conversation, more focused on feeding Renjun a bite of food from his plate. Kun blinked, taken aback by the intimacy of Jaemin feeding the prince then wiping at his mouth, as if the room wasn’t full of the other royals.

Between the dinner and his in-laws to be, Kun wasn’t sure which was the worse situation to get himself into. 

*

When Kun had insisted on sending Jaehyun and the others away from the rest of the day, Jaehyun had initially had no clue how to spend it. Johnny was his best friend, but with some time off, Taeyong and Johnny wanted nothing more than to be together and Jaehyun couldn’t deny them that. It wasn’t that he wasn’t friends or friendly with the others, in fact he was very close to all the members of the court. He just wasn’t sure he wanted to spend time with them, not when his head was too full of thoughts that raged louder and louder with every day that passed.

For how long he wandered the halls until he found a point in which his feet were willing to stop, he couldn’t have said. It didn’t really matter either, not when he turned the corner prepared to take a rest then try to find his way back to his room, and instead stumbled backwards at the figure of someone further down the hallway. It had to be about early afternoon at that point, and from what Jaehyun had observed, most of the courtiers found their way back to the upper levels for lunch and mischief at that time.

The halls had been empty during most of his wandering, and if they weren’t empty, it was guards on patrol or servants in a rush. The woman that was studying the walls with a cool intent was neither, based on what she was wearing. In fact, she didn’t look remotely familiar at all, not that Jaehyun had much knowledge to back that up. He took a wavering step forward, waiting to see if the sound would alarm her. She remained still, much stiller than any living being should be, her back still facing him. It took him a moment, but then he realized that she  _ wasn’t  _ a living thing. Ever since his conversation with Doyoung, he had perhaps been looking to find a ghost to speak with, but it was almost as if all of them were feeling particularly shy. Elios had been watching, it seemed, and brought Jaehyun what he had been seeking.

He sent a quick prayer to the god, that despite having played a heavy hand in tangling Kun’s threads of fate, still looked after them.

“Excuse me?” Jaehyun called out in the most gentle voice he could manage, slowly approaching the wavering form of the ghost.

She turned and Jaehyun’s breath was taken away from him. She couldn’t have passed away recently, not with the haunting look on her face that betrayed she had seen too much and therefore knew too much. She wasn’t wearing a dress like most of the female spirits that drifted through the hallways with laughs that tore Jaehyun from his dreams some nights. Instead, she wore fighting leather that was obsidian and silver. No weapons adorned her body and it tugged at his heart that a warrior didn’t get to carry them with her in death.

She was beautiful, Jaehyun had to admit. Her inky hair fell down her back and her eyes, merely pools of onyx and silver, seemed to be scrutinizing him. If he didn’t know better, if he had only caught sight of her in passing, he would have thought her to be a wraith.

“You’re not Unseelie,” she said, her voice crisp and cool. Judgemental, weary. She had a bone to pick with the Seelie, apparently, which didn’t give him much indication as to when she died at all. The Unseelie had hated the Seelie since the beginning of time, and the Seelie returned the sentiment. 

“No, I am not,” he ventured carefully, tilting his head just slightly. Pinky peach locks fell over his forehead and he ignored them, but the ghost followed the strands with rapt attention. A trained killer, an  _ experienced _ killer, not that he expected less from an Unseelie warrior dead or alive. 

“My queen would not be fond of you in her home, then,” she hissed with the utter assurance of someone who knew their monarch and knew them  _ well _ . Jaehyun was prepared to ask which queen, Xinyue or Qing, when he realized what the ghost had been looking at.

  
The wall wasn’t blank at all. 

It seemed random, even if he knew it couldn’t have been with the way the Unseelie were, but on the wall was a mark. The mark of a snake coiling to attack, a crescent moon turned on its side right above the snake’s narrowed eyes. A snake and a turned crescent moon, the marks of a long since dead queen.

“Queen Chungha,” he breathed softly. “You served Queen Chungha.”

The ghost raised her chin haughtily, as if she had been waiting for him to come to this conclusion the entire time. “Yes. My queen was very kind to many, some might say too kind, but after what  _ your  _ ancestors did? She must be turning in her grave to see you strolling through these halls as if you’re any more innocent than the rest of us.”

Jaehyun raised his hands placatingly, suddenly feeling bad for something he hadn’t done. “I’m sorry,” he said softly, wanting to soothe whatever hurt he might have brought back up for her. “I didn’t mean to offend you or your queen. Maybe you haven’t heard. My prince, Qian Kun of the Seelie, and your prince, Li Ten of the Unseelie, are to be married.” 

Her eyes widened and he could have sworn he saw tears glittering in her eyes before she swiped a hand at him, whether dismissively or out of anger it was hard to distinguish. 

“If your prince brings any harm to Qing’s son- !” She hissed out, raising a shaking finger at him. Her distrust for the Seelie, then, must have run deep if she truly believed that  _ Kun  _ could harm someone. Her threat remained halted, unfinished, lingering like smoke ready to strangle his lungs.

  
Quick paced footsteps reached them and Kim Doyoung came tearing around the corner. His eyes darted between Jaehyun and the ghost, an eyebrow raised questioningly. When neither of them made moves to explain the situation, he merely sighed and took the slightest step closer, his body close enough to Jaehyun’s to warm the Seelie’s arm. 

“I heard voices,” Doyoung said, crossing his arms, a displeased expression passing over his face. “I wanted to make sure no one had picked a fight with Jaehyun, especially when I heard Queen Qing’s name.”

“Lord Doyoung.” The ghost dipped into a deep curtsy, a mark of a slithering snake around her wrist flashing before Jaehyun’s eyes, before her hands were folded behind her back. “It seems I’ve been sleeping for too long, since I didn’t know  _ Seelie  _ are visiting us.”

“They’re good people, Siyeon.” Doyoung smiled and a shiver wracked through Jaehyun’s body, his nerve endings firing at a rate that seemed impossible especially with the way his fingers seem to spark and warm. “Do you think I would allow them to stay otherwise?”

Siyeon tilted her head, her dark eyes turning sad for a moment. “No, I don’t think you would, My Lord. But I think that you are in so much pain that it might be easy to miss.”

Doyoung tensed, but didn’t argue with her, rather he urged her gently, “Rest, Siyeon. You must be tired. Go see your love.”

Her shoulders slumped forward, her fingers flexing as she made fists before her. The confident woman Jaehyun had been met with slipped away before Doyoung. In front of an Unseelie lord she seemed tired but not weary, comfortable in a way that she hadn’t been before. It took him a moment to realize her shoulders were slumped from small sobs and not from exhaustion. There were no tears, but he figured ghosts didn’t have the mechanism to do so.

“Do not worry about me,” she eventually said, bringing her eyes to Doyoung’s. “It’s my duty to protect you and the King’s children. I will continue to do so until the last shreds of my soul slip away.” 

Doyoung bowed at the waist, a small but sad smile tugging at his lips. “Thank you for your service, Siyeon. Send my thanks to the rest of the legion as well.”

There was no response from Siyeon, her stare burning into them both as Doyoung took Jaehyun’s arm and led him away. His hand remained at Jaehyun’s arm, pressing insistently as they walked endlessly (or so it felt like). Finally, they came to a stop several floors above where Jaehyun had met the ghost. Jaehyun opened his mouth, prepared to ask about how Doyoung was doing after that night, but a light that was anything but reassuring had formed in the Unseelie’s eyes.

“You cannot,” Doyoung hissed out in a low voice. “Bother Siyeon like that. Or any of the ghosts from Chungha’s time, in fact.”

Jaehyun recoiled slightly, feeling a bit silly for how he had hoped to have a pleasant interaction. “You said the ghosts were nice,  _ you  _ encouraged me to speak to them.”

“I was  _ drunk _ !” Doyoung barked out at him, crossing his arms and beginning to pace. Jaehyun trailed his movements with his eyes and leant against the wall, suddenly very tired as if the Unseelie drew energy from him just by being in their presence. “Do you often follow the advice of a drunk man?” He paused then quietly but sharply added, “Siyeon is very old and very tired. She is one of Chungha’s court, she was a part of the legion that brought down entire kingdoms.”

“The Soul Eaters…” Jaehyun muttered, unable to help the hint of awe that slipped into his voice. The Seelie hated the Unseelie as the Unseelie returned the sentiment, that was rule of thumb, but it did not mean that they didn’t know the Unseelie’s history. And in Jaehyun’s case, it did not mean that he didn’t know about Chungha’s personal army led by the fiercest warriors that had disappeared when their queen did. It had never occurred to Jaehyun that the icons that graced tapestries and story books may have passed away. 

“So you’ve heard of them,” Doyoung said drily, pausing in his pacing long enough to size up Jaehyun as if he was an opponent on the battlefield. “Either way, you can’t go bothering her. Her and the others should be gone, they should have faded into the void. But they haven’t because they made a promise not to just Chungha but every queen that has followed, to protect their children. Until the last embers of their soul fade, they will stand here and defend Starfire and its inhabitants.”

“They’re just ghosts, they have no power,” Jaehyun said gently as he would to a child whose belief he didn’t want to break. 

Doyoung’s eyes were blazing. “Ghosts hold much more power than you think, General Jung.”

“How do you know my last name and my rank?” Jaehyun asked, taking a daring step towards the fae. Doyoung didn’t give a step back, he stayed resolute and still, as if daring Jaehyun to come closer, to see just what an ill-tempered Unseelie might do. 

“I’m observant. And you should be too.” Doyoung’s lips quirked up slightly, smirking at a secret that only he knew. He took a step closer as well, fingers circling Jaehyun’s wrist in a startling display of skinship. The slim, golden bracelet there slid as Doyoung’s fingers slipped beneath it. “There’s a protection spell on this bracelet, Commander. Did you know that? Someone must care an awful lot about you, considering it’s so strong.”

Jaehyun snatched his hand back quickly, taking several steps backwards, his heart hammering in his chest. Doyoung raised his eyebrows, waiting for an explanation. 

Jaehyun didn’t give him one. “Good afternoon, Lord.” 

Walking as fast as he could manage, Jaehyun left Doyoung standing in the hallway. The skin where his bracelet touched his wrist seemed to burn and sting, as if the soothing quality it once had was gone. He didn’t wear the bracelet all the time, only when his duties weren’t strenuous or heavy with physical labor. The prickling sensation of unease spread over him, clinging to him so as he wouldn’t forget. He hardly wore the bracelet, so how had Doyoung noticed it and the charm supposedly gracing it?

For every cryptic thing that Doyoung said, there were a thousand other things left unsaid. Secrets, the Unseelie were full of secrets, and Doyoung’s smiles promised that he knew a great deal of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *eye emoji* hmm seems like a lot is going that we don't understand isn't there? everyone has so many secretssss! i hope you guys enjoyed, this one was a really long one but i wanted it to be that way. if you have any questions or theories or anything please comment them or hit me up in my curious cat
> 
> if you wanna talk or hang out here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) and [curious cat](https://t.co/0W7CyOjNRV?amp=1)


	9. IX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A match is lit to burn a bridge that hasn't been built.

It hadn’t exactly been Kun’s idea to use the weekend to visit the city and get drunk, but he also hadn’t protested. It had been too long since he and his friends had the chance to go out and let loose, had the chance to pretend that they didn’t have lingering duties follow them wherever they went. They hadn’t invited Chenle or Jisung, not quite prepared to drink with the two who felt too young to them still. Yangyang had insisted on coming, though, and it only felt fair since they were bringing along Jeno, who had seemed almost too eager to join. 

Kun didn’t drink often, not because he didn’t enjoy it, but because it wasn’t very princely of him. He had thrown caution to the wind after the week he had, shocking himself and Taeil when the advisor had asked if Kun wished to join them. He had taken the proper precautions to keep his features hidden, so as not to draw attention to himself or start trouble. After the week he’d had, that was the last thing him or his friends needed. 

The soldiers had kept their swords on them, and Kun had to wonder if they would have left them back in the castle if it weren’t for his presence. Except, when he watched the way Johnny tenderly took Taeyong’s hand then pressed an equally tender kiss to his lover’s knuckles, Kun knew it wasn’t just for him. His eyes snagged on the way Mark and Yukhei had interlocked their fingers, tucking their hands between their bodies. It was sweet, in the way that young love was, and although it should have caused a pang of longing, instead Kun smiled. 

“You seem distant,” Taeil said when they entered the tavern, a hand resting on Kun’s lower back. He couldn’t discern if the advisor was trying to guide him or comfort him or maybe even protect him. 

“I’m okay,” the prince responded with a weak smile. Taeil hadn’t asked if he was okay, but he never did, he always used round about ways to inquire Kun’s well being.

Taeil’s stare laid heavy on his prince as Kun slipped away, following closely behind the others to a table in the back. The tavern was small, but homey, laughter and music drifting through the air and creating a warm atmosphere. A hand slipped into Kun’s and he turned to smile sweetly at Yangyang, who was beaming as he took in everything. Kun couldn’t remember the last time Yangyang had smiled that brightly. His heart jerked and he ducked down to kiss his head, sweet on him like used to be when the mischief maker was younger. 

Behind the bar counter, there was a tapestry depicting the God of Wine and Fertility, Dyius. It was a bit faded, but undeniably beautifully woven. Kun couldn’t help but stare at it, to drink it in, wonder at why they didn’t have pieces for the gods back in Kortrana. 

A sharp tug on his wrist snapped him out of it and he allowed Yangyang to lead him over to the table where the others were. He was nudged in between Jaehyun and Yukhei, both snug and safe. Johnny and Mark were the ones to make the treacherous journey over to the bar in between the throngs of people in order to get them some beer. 

“Where do you keep disappearing lately, Jeno?” Yukhei asked, pitching his voice even louder than normal in order to be heard over the cacophony of the tavern. His eyes sparkled, his lips pulled up into a teasing grin, and for a moment he could picture the boy that Yukhei had once been.

Jeno flushed, a soft smile forming on his own lips, eyes turning up into half crescents. “I’ve been exploring. Starfire is so much older than Sunburst since our ancestors love renovation so much.”

Kun snorted softly at that, nodding his head in agreement. Starfire was just as big, if not bigger, than Sunburst and certainly more ancient. The Seelie were fickle, had a desire for the finer things in life, and that included their castle. Perhaps they didn’t admire their predecessors as much as the Unseelie did, and therefore had no qualms about wiping out their work and their history. Either way, it always made a sickly feeling settle deep inside Kun at the thought that his kind had no problem destroying another’s hard work and dedication.

A glass of frothing beer was slid into view, right before him on the table, and he immediately perked up at the sight. It had been all too long since he had gotten drunk, probably over 20 years or so. The soldiers had outings about once a month, but he could never join, and neither could the courtiers. The palace had a way of holding onto what it considered its own which made it nearly impossible for Kun and many of his friends to join in on anything remotely fun.

Halfway through his first glass, Kun noticed the way Mark had sunk into Yukhei, a flush high up on his cheeks and his fingers finding purchase in Yukhei’s shirt. Yukhei smiled down at his love, brushing hair away from Mark’s face, muttering words low enough that even Kun could not catch them. Once again, Kun felt a broken place inside of him warm at the sight of two fae who had found a safe haven within each other.

Jaehyun nudged Kun gently, flashing his dimpled cheeks as he lifted his own pint of beer. “How’s wedding planning going? I haven’t seen you much since we trained. Or should I say since you got knocked on your ass repeatedly.” 

Kun let out a low hiss of discontent, his eyebrows coming together. He took a long swig from his beer, that broken part of him jangling once more, as if the pieces had attempted to put themselves back together but they couldn’t find their way in the dark. Jaehyun seemed to realize his mistake, even halfway on his way to being buzzed, and winced. He rested a comforting hand on his prince’s shoulder, a sheepish smile making its way to his face. 

It was soon forgotten, though. Him and Jaehyun resumed drinking, separating themselves from the couples around them, and babbled incessantly about memories from home and foolish fantasies they’d like to fulfill while visiting Eplyae. Neither of them mentioned the wedding or how  _ long  _ the stay in Eplyae might end up being. The rest of the world faded away, other than Yangyang or Taeil’s occasional interjections, and for the first time in a while Kun felt  _ blissful _ . 

A scream pierced through the haze that had coated Kun’s body.

Their happy high faded away so quickly that Kun was left to wonder if they had ever truly been drunk to begin with. Jaehyun and Johnny were on their feet, swords drawn, quicker than Kun’s intoxicated brain could keep track of. Jaehyun practically dragged Kun to his feet and tossed him at Yukhei, who caught him with ease. The prince opened his mouth to yowl in protest, but the grimace on Yukhei’s face told him he ought to behave like normal. 

Taeil, Taeyong, and Yangyang were also pushed into the corner with Kun while Mark, Yukhei, and Jeno fell into place before the prince and the courtiers. The younger soldiers had also drawn their swords, surveying the area while they waited for their commanders to return with news and orders. Sweat formed at the back of Kun’s neck and his mouth was slightly dry as he stood stiffly, waiting just as much as the soldiers who were the front line of his protection. 

Jaehyun returned first, all color drained from his cheeks and a frantic look having formed in his eyes. He clamped a hand around Mark’s wrist, firm and unyielding, his eyes falling upon Kun despite the action. He was waiting for confirmation to speak, to give the update of what he had seen, Kun realized. He was drunk, so painfully and unfortunately drunk, but managed to give a nod of approval.

“Witches,” Jaehyun choked out, his eyes round with what Kun recognized as  _ terror _ . “There’s a small coven of witches here and they’re… awfully blood thirsty. Mark, I think you’re going to have to find another way out of here. Johnny wants to fight, but we can’t do that with the prince here.”

Kun wanted to bark out that he wasn’t a child, that he knew how to defend himself, but it wasn’t true. If Kun had been thrown on his ass by fae who had been going easy on him, he stood no chance against an entire host of witches that had a deep rooted desire to drink the blood of the fae. He swallowed hard as Taeyong gripped his friend’s arm, eyes round with terror as well. Not because of the situation, Kun knew, but because Johnny was going to fight.

Johnny was going to combat the witches. And more than likely lose. 

Tears stung the corners of Kun’s eyes, the terrible reality of the situation dawning upon him, and he gripped Taeyong tightly as if that might soothe the sting of a lost love. He knew, of course he knew, that nothing could ever mend that broken part of someone once they lost a lover. His own broken part throbbed deep inside him, as if to show sympathy for Taeyong, who could soon have a twin broken heart. 

“Jaehyun,” Taeyong pleaded, using his free hand to attempt to push past Jeno. He would beg on his knees, he would cry and scream, anything to ensure that Johnny wouldn’t throw himself into the fray. If Johnny and Jaehyun went against those witches alone while the youngers smuggled out the prince and courtiers, they would die and Taeyong would never forgive himself. “Don’t  _ do this _ .” 

Jaehyun’s own eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I’m sorry, Yong.”

_ I’m sorry for doing this. I’m sorry that Johnny is doing this. I’m sorry for leaving you, and he is too. I’m sorry that you and Johnny will never marry like you wanted to. I’m sorry that you will be broken until the day you die. I’m sorry. _

There was so much to be sorry for, but Jaehyun didn’t say any of those things. He pressed a kiss to Mark’s head then Yukhei’s and finally Jeno’s. His smile quivered as if it was merely a mirage he was keeping up until he slipped away from them, until he could allow it to fall so the others wouldn’t have to worry about him. Taeyong was trembling in Kun’s arms, and Taeil was helping to hold him back, to stop him from chasing after Jaehyun.

Jaehyun turned, his shoulders slumping forward in resignation, when another scream rang out. Not of terror. Never of terror when it came to the witches; a scream of rage, the same kind of scream Morena had snarled out before death. Kun tensed, wondering if Johnny had already reached both the witches and his death. Taeyong must have thought the same, tears falling rapidly and his body shaking with sobs. His knees gave out, the only thing holding him up being Kun and Taeil’s arms. 

Kun’s own eyes blurred from tears and he bowed his head, out of respect for Johnny and what he had been willing to sacrifice in order for his prince and his lover to escape.

Except, Johnny was tearing through the crowds of people who had clustered together out of fear (and anger, so much anger that rolled off of them in waves). His eyes were wide, almost wild, as he grabbed Jaehyun by the arm, halting his best friend. 

  
Even Kun could hear Johnny as he said, “You won’t believe this.”

And then the two bravest souls of Kortrana disappeared once more, tearing through the tavern towards the front of it. Kun narrowed his eyes, adrenaline flooding through his veins, and before either of his advisors could realize his actions or stop them, he was bolting forward, following the path that his friends had taken. Shouts and footsteps followed behind him, but he ignored them, focused on finding his friends and the epicenter of the commotion. 

The main floor of the tavern was in chaos.

Fae against witches in every direction, magic and blood giving the air a tangy scent and taste. That didn't make Kun freeze though, no, it had nothing to do with the bloodshed and slaughtering, but everything to do with the Unseelie who were in the center of it all. Prince Ten, the Terrors, Prince Renjun, and the Laminae. 

Donghyuck and Jaemin were merely a blur of silver, dancing around each other, laughter falling off their lips as they met the witches' blows of blades and magic. Starfire drifted off Jaemin while moonfire haloed Donghyuck. The Terrors wore twin grins of viciousness and victory, their blades sparing no one who met the opposite end of it. Renjun stood upon a table, no smile, no joy present in his expression, merely a gaze of intense focus as his shadows choked witches at his feet.

A witch spat a curse at Prince Renjun and a wicked blade slashed into her throat, Donghyuck’s smirk as he did so down right vindictively. Renjun smirked back, a tendril of darkness striking a witch that drew too close to Jaemin. 

Prince Ten, though, was at the heart of it all. And he wasn’t alone. Jungwoo took Ten’s left side while Doyoung took his right; Jungwoo wore a half feral look while Doyoung was all intense concentration. Yuta and Sicheng weren’t a part of the strong unit they had formed, but just because they weren’t in sight didn’t mean they weren’t reeking havoc.

“ _ KUN _ !” Jeno’s voice was shrill with panic as he reached his prince. His face was pale, lips pressed together firmly, and his eyes weren’t round but a dull glaze had formed. “Are you fucking  _ crazy _ ? Are you trying to _ die _ ! Dear Gods, Elios really is looking out for you. Come on, we have to get you out of here.”

“Not so fast, pretty boy.” The purred interjection sent shivers down Kun’s spine, but he turned to face the source of the words. 

The witch staring him down was not otherworldly beautiful such as Morena, but she was striking with her slash of a grin and short hair drifting around her face. The dark locks were matted to her neck and chin from blood, but she didn’t seem to notice, laughter forming at the edges of her grin. Beside her, stood a taller male, undoubtedly a witch with the gentle sloping of his features but the cruel angle of his mouth. Both had their blades drawn and their sights set on Kun and Jeno.

“Jeno…” Kun warned, his voice softer than it had been even when he read Jeno bedtime stories. “Run, baby boy.”

“I can’t! I’m not supposed to leave you!” Jeno protested, sounding more and more like a true soldier with every day that passed. Kun’s heart squeezed in his chest and he kept his eyes on the witches even as he reached out, gripped the sword in Jeno’s hand, then shoved the younger fae with all the strength he could summon. Jeno fell backwards, into a civilian who had just been trying to drink the sorrows away from the week, his cry swallowed in the tin of the battle. 

Gripping Jeno’s sword in his hand, chin raised high and regret pooling in his gut, Kun faced the two witches. 

  
  


In the midst of the fray, Ten froze at the sound of a broken cry of desperation falling from the lips of a fae. He blinked, peering over Doyoung’s head to search out the source of it. Doyoung didn’t pause or falter, stepping up to handle another witch as Ten continued to peer around the warrior, attempting to find who was in need of help. His eyes landed on the blond soldier sprawled on the floor, being helped up by a civilian then being  _ held back  _ by the same civilian. 

The soldier - Jeno - (Ten knew who it was, of course he did, how could he not when Kun gushed about him as if he hung the stars), pushed the civilian back with little regret, before throwing himself forwards, despite the fact that Ten saw no weapons on his person. Ten swore to himself and turned, intent on hunting down one of his siblings to go after the foolish boy, but instead found something much more important.

Prince Kun, cornered by two witches, for all the world looking as if he was fully trained and prepared to ruin them. 

“Hold it down here,” Ten barked at Doyoung and Jungwoo, already taking a step towards where Kun had been backed against the wall. “Report to Sicheng.”

“You got it, baby.” Jungwoo winked and Doyoung rolled his eyes. Even with a witch diving to tear into his throat, it seemed Jungwoo just couldn’t help himself. In a flash, his flirtatious grin was gone and instead he bared his teeth, sword severing through the same witch’s throat. “Heinous bitch. If you were jealous you could have just said so.”

  
“Shut the fuck up.”

Ten left Doyoung and Jungwoo behind, to fight and bicker apparently, and dived towards Kun and the witches. He came from behind, deciding that it could be so much more fun to catch them unknowingly. He wasted no time drawing a blade to throw into the male witch’s head and then raising his sword as the female turned, an anguished expression transforming into one of rage.

“ _ You _ !” She screamed, throwing up an accusing finger at him. She was trembling, from her lips down to her toes, the hand holding her blade turning white from how tight she was gripping it. She pulled her quivering lips back to direct a snarl in the Unseelie prince’s direction, but despite it all, he could see the tears forming.

“It’s me,” he taunted, raising his sword to meet hers in case she decided to snap out of her grief at any moment. He jerked his chin at the fallen witch, a nasty smile forming. “Did that belong to you?”

The blood drained from her face, whether from nausea or anger, he couldn’t tell.

“ _ That! _ He’s not- he wasn’t-,” she sputtered, clearly unsure how to proceed in a situation where her partner was not at her side. “He is more than an animal! He was a  _ person _ !”

An icy rage took over Ten’s body, the smile falling away as he took three steps forward and gripped the witch’s throat. “No,” he said quietly, slowly. “He was not. I watched you slaughter civilians as if they were nothing more than a spare tree branch that had gotten in your way. I watched you rip into their throats, drink their blood. I  _ watched  _ you murder a pregnant woman. I killed him for her. But now? I will kill you for  _ me _ . We do  _ not  _ bring innocents into this war. Now, step away from my  _ innocent _ fiance _. _ ”

The witch’s eyes rounded for a second before she breathed out a laugh. “If I had known it was the Seelie prince, I wouldn’t have even looked in his direction.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ten insisted, bringing his sword up to her chin, releasing her throat to give her the chance to speak.

She shot him an intense glare but hissed out, “Someone in Thaynis must be awfully soft for you and your betrothed. We’ve been given specific instructions not to fatally injure you or him.”

Ten narrowed his eyes, drawing closer to the witch. He expected her to raise her sword against him or bark curse words at him, but her eyes were drawn to her fallen friend. For as long as Ten had been alive, the idea that witches were cruel and unfeeling had been drilled into him, but he thought about how the Seelie were taught the same about the Unseelie. The witch was mourning, that much was clear, and to the extent where her hands were shaking as if it was physically paining her not to hold the male even in death.

“Go to him,” Ten said softly, lowering his sword. “I will spare you so long as you don’t lift your sword once more in this battle.”

A single tear slipped down her smooth cheek and she made no move to wipe it away. She didn’t look at Ten either as she muttered “thank you” in her own tongue. She fell to her knees, sword falling beside her, and cradled the male’s head in her hands, speaking rapidly in their own language. Ten watched for a moment then blinked and turned to look at Kun, prepared to inspect him for injuries. 

Kun’s eyes were on the witches, though. His eyes were round and the sword he had been holding clambered to the ground, his fingers trembling as he slowly moved his hands to cover his eyes. He was mouthing a name over and over, one that Ten couldn’t discern, but was less concerned with when Kun’s safety was at risk. He couldn’t trust a witch as far as he could throw one, especially not when it came to the safety of a member of fae royal. He reached out, gently grasping Kun’s wrist, guiding him towards the back room of the tavern where he knew that Sicheng and Yuta had gone to scope out, to decide if it was safe enough to guide the Seelie fae to. 

“Jeno,” Kun breathed out, boneless as he allowed his fiance to drag him to the back room. “Is he okay?”

Ten’s lips quirked up, just slightly, at how the Seelie prince still managed to think of his own even after he had almost been killed by a witch. “I think,” Ten drawled, nudging Kun into the room where his courtiers and the two young guards were, “that your little soldier boy will be just fine.”

A flash of irritation rippled across Kun’s face as he stepped closer to Ten, eyebrows drawing together. Ten knew the beration that was about to come his way and he had no intent on halting it. He was rather tired of the mask that Kun had been putting up every time they met; he wasn’t being himself, he was being what the world wanted him to be. Ten understood that, of course, but he at least tried to be like himself whenever he was with his husband-to-be. 

A fuse of irritation lit up inside Ten himself and he took a step closer, a silent dare for Kun to say whatever was lurking beneath the surface. 

“ _ Jeno _ is not some little soldier boy. Jeno followed me when I threw myself after two of my most trusted guards, after  _ Taeyong’s  _ lover! And no one  _ asked  _ you to help me. I could have handled the witches myself, without killing one of them.” He paused, catching his breath before he spat the last part out as if it would burn him if he kept it in a moment longer. “And don’t you know how cruel it is to keep that witch alive after you killed her lover? Once the anger was gone she had nothing left. You left her with  _ nothing _ !”

Ten stared and stared, waiting to see if his  _ lovely  _ fiance had anything else to say. When it seemed that Kun had gotten everything off his mind, Ten decided it was his turn to air some things out.

“Fine and fine, then. Jeno is a grown soldier who was brave, or should I say stupid, enough to follow his equally stupid prince into a battle they were bound to lose. And for the record, no you wouldn’t have made it out of that if not for me. Witches are brutal, but apparently I am too for not killing more than necessary. Which leaves me with this: how fucking stupid are you to leave the castle when the witches are out for your blood and who the  _ fuck  _ died on you that the moment someone loses their lover or is at risk of losing their lover, you become a sopping mess!” Ten snarled, growing closer with each acid covered sentence.

  
They were toe to toe by the time Ten had finished and Kun was breathing hard, his lips parted. Tears were glistening in his eyes once more and Ten half-expected the prince to fall apart, to cry and apologize.

That was not who Kun was though.

“Fuck. You.” Kun hissed and turned sharply enough that his shoulder slammed into Ten’s chest. He paced directly over to Taeyong, taking the blue haired fae into his arms and holding him tightly, as if he could keep him together long enough until the lieutenant rejoined them. 

“That was kind of harsh,” Yuta said, coming to stand beside his friend, watching the Seelie as they clustered together around each other. How easily they fell apart just to put themselves back together to stand tall enough so that no one may harm their family. 

Ten gritted his teeth, tightening his grip on his sword. “Stay here with them. I’m going to go finish this. Maybe I’ll finish that damn witch too and bring her head back to ease him.”

Yuta called after him as he strode from the room, slamming the door shut behind him, but the roaring in his ears was much too loud. The anger he worked so hard to keep under lock and key was unleashed, coiled deep inside of him, ready to lash out. There was no reason to keep in check, not when he saw his baby sister pinned at the bar, working hard to get to her twin. 

Prince Ten threw himself into battle and did not once think of the way Kun looked at him with burning resentment. 

  
  


*

Jeno hadn’t known what he had been expecting to happen when he threw himself at a witch, empty handed and electrified. His body shimmered, glowing with that kernel of light that reigned over his power from deep inside of him. There wasn’t much metal or nature to draw upon from the location of the tavern, meaning that he would have to rely heavily on his training and the light inside of him.

It didn’t end too well for him when a witch had him pinned to the ground, leering at him as if she had just found her next meal. He wasn’t afraid, he refused to be, not when he was certain that he could kill her or if he died it would not be in vain. 

“What does it feel like to lose?” The witch asked, running her fingers over his face in a gesture that had him cringing away. 

“That’s what I’d like to ask you,” Jaemin announced shortly before his sword was cleanly cutting through her neck, her head dropping to the ground with a sickening thud. Her body, which had been sitting atop Jeno to begin with, toppled onto him causing him to cry out. The dead weight wasn’t too heavy, but it was uncomfortable with blood pooling from her severed neck and onto Jeno’s chest.

“How…” Jeno began to ask but Donghyuck had appeared, knocking the body off with a swift kick to the abdomen. He flashed Jeno a winning smile, a magical giggle blessing the air before he had reached out to help the Seelie up. Jeno accepted the hand and aided Donghyuck in dragging him to his feet.

“Our marks,” Donghyuck explained simply, flicking a strand of blood stained hair away from his face. Silver blood from a cut on his face had dribbled down to his chin, slipping down the curve of his neck, and Jeno wondered what was wrong with him that he couldn’t draw his eyes away from the trail the drop had created. “It was burning. Which meant something was wrong, and since we could see each other and Prince Renjun, we figured it must have been you.”

Jeno continued to stare blankly, even as Jaemin ambled up to his lover, dragged his tongue along the curve of his chin to clean away the blood that had fallen there. He should have blushed or looked away, but Jeno didn’t balk at all, not when the entire world no longer made sense to begin with. Jaemin’s fingers slid along the back of Donghyuck’s neck, cupping there in a simple display of affection.

“What’s wrong?” Jaemin quirked an eyebrow at Jeno.

Jeno thought about Taeyong’s anguished expression and the way he had clawed at Jeno’s back to try to reach Johnny; he thought of how Kun had looked at him so sadly before pushing him away in an attempt to save him; he thought of the witch and the grin she had wore that promised terrible things to fall upon him before she killed him. He thought about Elios and Ovreus, the God of Mercy, and he  _ laughed _ because those gods surely couldn’t exist in such an unlawful world.

He laughed until the laughter turned to tears, streaming endlessly down his face. “Your marks are supposed to only work for Renjun,” he said in a croak, looking between the two Laminae who were peering at him with something akin to alarm in their expressions.

“That’s true, yes, but Junnie gave you his protection,” Jaemin explained, eyebrows drawn together and his head tilted to the side. 

The dark haired prince of shadows arrived, drenched in blood of silver and crimson alike. He looked between all three of the men until Jaemin and Donghyuck quietly assured him that none of them had been injured. Renjun’s lips tightened as his eyes landed first on the cut on Donghyuck’s cheek then on the blood across Jeno’s chest. He pressed a searing kiss to Donghyuck’s lips then to the cut on his cheek before approaching Jeno. 

“Jeno,” he said softly, fingers finding Jeno’s face as if to search for any cuts or bruises his Laminae may have missed. “Are you okay?”

Jeno blinked once then nodded, sinking into Renjun’s touch. The prince’s hands were warm, to Jeno’s utter disbelief. Renjun had seemed like the kind of person to have cold hands, but even with the snow that was drifting from the sky in fat snowflakes, his hands were warm. His deep brown eyes were also warm, swirling with an insurmountable flurry of emotions. Jeno’s tears were falling onto Renjun’s fingers, but Renjun didn’t withdraw, merely stared and waited.

“You came for me?” Jeno whispered, sniffling quietly.

“No,” Renjun answered honestly but his tone was gentle. “I came to save my people and your people. It just so happened that you needed protection and I was willing to give it. Besides, you’re fully capable of defending yourself.”

“Jun,” Donghyuck rested a hand on the prince’s shoulder, eyeing up Jeno. “We should take him to the others. Ten wouldn’t want him out here until this is finished.”

“You and Jaemin take him, I’ll help my siblings,” Renjun said shortly, a command in every sense of the word. Donghyuck tensed, silver eyes blazing with reluctance, but unable to defy his orders. He didn’t want to leave his prince, not only because of his duty but because of the way his heart was bound utterly and completely to him. Renjun seemingly noticed, softening around the edges and dropping one of his hands from Jeno to cup Donghyuck’s cheek. “When I am finished, I will find you, and I will  _ ravish  _ you.”

He said the last part lowly, as if he was trying to spare Jeno from hearing it, but Jeno still caught it and did not bat an eyelash. It didn’t bother Jeno, not when he had once known a couple much more intimate and not when Johnny and Taeyong were drawn to each other like magnets. 

After a few more muttered words, Jaemin and Donghyuck were leading Jeno away, deeper into the tavern and farther from the dying battle. Neither reached out to touch Jeno, but they hovered close enough that he could feel their warmth radiating against him. When they reached the back room and Jeno was ushered inside, he couldn’t say why, but he reached out gently grabbing Donghyuck’s wrist to stop him from rejoining the chaos.

“Wait,” he said softly, tongue running over his lips. “Taeyong or Kun can heal that cut for you. It doesn’t look too bad but I mean... “

Donghyuck’s eyes roamed over Jeno’s face, searching for something. After a moment, a smile spread over his face and Jaemin stepped forward, his own eyes gleaming. Approval lined the warriors’ faces although Jeno couldn’t even begin to understand.

“Okay,” Donghyuck said simply, no purr or any sharpness edging the word. He took a step closer, into the room and Jaemin followed behind him. 

As they passed by Jeno they smelled like roses and blood. 

Taeyong had nearly completely healed the cut on Donghyuck’s face, insistent that it be him to do so in order to keep his mind occupied and off of Johnny, when the room was flooded with more people. First to stumble through the door, was an equally seething Doyoung and Jaehyun. Doyoung had a firm grip on Jaehyun’s arm, blood leaking from various cuts on them, the two hissing heated words back and forth to each other. Behind them, Johnny was slumped against Jungwoo who was wearing a snake’s smile.

No sign of any of the princes, but stepping through the doorway a princess and two women beautiful enough to be princesses. To see a Terror without the other attached to their hip was startling, nerve wracking even; Jeno blinked, wondering if he were seeing things. But no, he wasn’t. That was Princess Lisa without her brother at her side and rather two female warriors, swords sheathed at their sides.

The one that flanked Lisa’s left had a waterfall of dark hair, the locks left loose despite the fact she had previously been in battle. Her pouty lips were twisted, but Kun couldn’t be sure if it was in disapproval or amusement. Her doe eyes observed the room as if she was hunting down threats to her princess that she could dispose of. The female that flanked Lisa’s right had a sharper face but a softer disposition. Her golden hair fell to her waist, but was held back from her face at least with a circlet that looked like it belonged to Lisa. She was smiling, just slightly, and her dark eyes on Lisa, rather than the rest of the room.

“These are the trouble makers then?” The dark haired one inquired, the question close enough to a joke that it wasn’t too offensive. Kun glanced at Jeno, though, the two both taken aback by the accent that carried on the words.

“Shut your mouth,” Doyoung snapped, rolling his eyes. The woman in question bared her teeth at him, but fell back, sulking slightly. Jeno hadn’t been aware that the Unseelie knew how to pout and he especially wasn’t aware that they knew how to accept something not going their way. He pointed at where Yukhei and Mark stood plastered to the back wall, “And you, Jung, Seo, go stand  _ over there _ . And do not move until someone checks you out two out for injuries.”

Jungwoo clucked his tongue as he released Johnny, Taeyong rushing to aid his lover. Jaehyun followed behind them, scowling openly at the Unseelie who had previously been holding him. Kun blinked, eyes darting between everyone as if he may find an answer out of those were present. It hadn’t yet occurred to him how odd it was to be in such close proximity to the Unseelie with his court and friends there too. 

“You’re the boss of no one, Doie,” Jungwoo teased, patting his friend on the head. “Yuta and Sicheng will hold it down here. Let’s go get Gyeom and our princes’.” 

“I will go retrieve Renjun.” Jaemin said firmly, gaze becoming steely with resolution. He sent Donghyuck a look that was just as firm, but the other Laminae seemed to care very little.

“And I can retrieve my own twin,” Lisa barked, her face twisted into a cool look of insult that made it seem as if she was waging an internal war on whether or not she should spit blood on her friend. 

“Go get the brats,” Sicheng said coolly, easily diffusing the situation. Jungwoo, Doyoung, Jaemin, and Lisa departed without so much as another barked insult, while Donghyuck and the two intimidating females remained. Kun swallowed, finding that he was dreading Ten’s return. Not because he was afraid something had happened, but rather he was afraid of how things would proceed with them now.

Kun had fallen into Taeil, allowing the hug that the advisor offered silently. They stood huddled against each other, watching over their people the same way that Yuta and Sicheng were from the door as they quietly conversed with Lisa’s friends. Both females carried accents but Kun didn’t have it in him to question it, his eyes sliding over to where Jeno and Donghyuck stood, merely staring at each other. They could have stood there for hours before the remaining royals and their guards shuffled inslide, more tired than beat up.

“All good?” Yuta asked Ten as the prince stepped inside, scanning the room for something.

When his eyes landed on Kun, he froze and with utter finality said, “All good. It’s over. Let’s return to the castle.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really wanted to get this out because i was super excited and i did drop some Hints in this one. i hope you guys like it and if you have any questions or comments feel free to drop them in the comments or my cc, i love hearing what you have to say it really encourages me. thank you a million times over, and a big thank you to miss carly as well for helping me out with this chapter.
> 
> if you wanna talk or hang out here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) and [curious cat](https://t.co/0W7CyOjNRV?amp=1)


	10. X

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To grow closer is to be honest with one another.

The King had demanded that the Unseelie and Seelie alike were to stay under lock down in Starfire until further notice, claiming he couldn’t have any royal or noble deaths on his hands. A few of Kun’s friends had bristled at that, unsure how to clarify that some were not of noble descent. It didn’t seem to matter, they were under lock down all the same. It had also been the last time Kun had spoken to Ten, the Unseelie prince giving his betrothed specific instructions to stay out of trouble, and that had been over a week ago. 

Ten supposed he should have cared, that he should have been worried about what his fiance was doing and if he was okay, but after everything he was just weary. 

“You’re being a child.” Joohyun stared at her brother with pinched brows and a frown. She was settled on the edge of his desk, for once in fighting leathers rather than one of the frivolous gowns she tended to wear when floating through the palace, and her hair was pulled back from her face, giving Ten the full effect of her severe gaze. It was unnerving, to say the least.

“Is that so?” Ten hummed noncommittally, hoping to fend off the inevitable debate for as long as possible. “I don’t think I am though. Three hundred plus years of living makes me an adult, don’t you think?” 

Joohyun’s hand slammed down over the papers Ten had been reading, diverting his attention back to her once more. Her eyes were well and truly blazing now, reminiscent of the form she took when she shifted. It was a wonder that she wasn’t baring her teeth as she said, “You can’t avoid him forever. I don’t know what happened that night and quite frankly I don’t care either. It’s inconsequential compared to our people  _ dying _ .” 

She punctuated her words by throwing a letter at her brother’s chest, leaning back and observing him as he scanned over the words. Ten’s gut twisted more and more with every sentence he read. If they had been doing bad on the front lines before, they were doing horribly now. In the frenzy of finding how the witches had managed to get into Eplyae, he had completely lost sight of the reason he and Kun were being wed to begin with. 

“These are our numbers?” Ten asked, his voice quiet. Joohyun nodded shortly, her lips pursed into something unforgiving. “And the Seelie? What are their numbers?”

“I’m not sure,” she replied honestly, playing with the end of her braid. “But they must be worse than ours. They have more people on the front lines than us, since they can reach it easier.” She paused and a soft sigh filtered through her lips as she reached to cup her brother’s face. “Darling boy. No one hates to see you like this more than I do, trust me, but you must grow up and be a prince. Do you understand? Forgive Kun for whatever it is he’s done. If not for yourself, then for your kingdom and  _ me _ . Okay?”

Ten slumped in his seat, nodding, leaning into her touch. There was never a time where Joohyun had been wrong and never a time where she had led him in a bad direction. She was the foundation that held their family and their kingdom together, and with a small pinch of fear, he wondered what this war was doing to her. She stood and ducked down to press a reassuring kiss to his head, as their mother used to when they were kids who were addled with superficial nightmares.

“Go, Joohyunie,” he muttered, clutching her wrist gently in the only form of comfort he knew how to give. “Go see your girls. I’ll finish up here and then I’ll find Kun. Don’t worry.”

Joohyun had almost disappeared into the shadows when she froze and turned to face her brother, tears glistening in the eyes that always looked upon him with nothing but fondness. “You look so much like her, Tennie,” she offered softly, the small semblance of comfort  _ she _ could offer.

Ten’s heart clenched in his chest and he gripped the edge of his desk. “Dad says all three of us do.”

“We do,” she agreed with a small nod of assent. “But you… you look the most like her. You  _ act  _ the most like her. She would have taken on the world, and I think you  _ will  _ take on the world.”

Ten cleared his throat, blinking rapidly to clear the fogginess from his eyes. “You’ll be late for your meetings, sister.” 

Joohyun shot him a heavy smile before disappearing into the hallway, her strides quickly paced; a princess who was always battling against time. 

  
  


Ten found Kun in the library, the Seelie prince sprawled out in an armchair with a book in his lap, the sun streaming through the window. The sunlight seemed to recognize its own kind, dancing in the prince’s hair, creating a halo around his head. Perhaps more startling than how stunning Kun in this setting was the fact that he was alone, all other members of his court absent. Foolishly, Ten hoped that this meant Kun was becoming more comfortable in Starfire. 

Ten hesitantly settled on the edge of the cushion on the armchair opposite of the Seelie Prince. He sucked his bottom lip in between his teeth, thinking about just what he would say while he waited for Kun to notice he was there. It took a moment or so until Kun tensed, his grip on the book growing tighter and his eyes raising to meet Ten’s.

“Hello,” Kun said stiffly, flipping the book closed, his fingers book marking where he had left off.

“Hi,” Ten greeted him in return, voice coming out much softer than he had originally anticipated. “I wanted to talk to you…”

“Is that so?” Kun questioned, tilting his head. The movement caused an eruption of oranges and reds to form in his eyes and Ten inhaled sharply at the sight, wondering how he had noticed before. He supposed it might have had something to do with the fact that the two avoided each other as much as they could. “Are you sure you didn’t come to insult me or yell at me again?”

Ten sighed softly. “I deserve that, but I actually came here to apologize to you…” 

Kun merely stared at him, the judgemental gaze merely pausing when he blinked. The blink was the most encouragement Ten suspected that he would get out of the other. 

“I’m sorry, Kun. I was worked up about the situation at hand and I took it out on you, which wasn’t fair. What I said was completely out of line.” Ten felt that his apology was somewhat lackluster, but in his defense, he didn’t apologize to people often. 

Kun looked away, towards the window that looked out on the gardens, gnawing on his bottom lip. Ten didn’t want to rush him or force him into accepting the apology, especially not when the other prince seemed to be so troubled. What he wouldn’t give to know the thoughts that ran through his fiance’s head, if only so he could understand just a little better. 

“I wasn’t angry with you for yelling at me, Ten.” Ten jolted at the sound of Kun’s voice, but immediately leaned closer to hear what he had to say. “I wasn’t angry, at all, really. I was… devastated. You mentioned who did I lose to behave the way I do?”

“Yes,” Ten began, wincing internally at his own words he had spat at Kun in the heat of a moment. “But I was just worked up-”

“My fiance died.”

Ten froze, suddenly off kilter, unsure how to proceed. This was unfamiliar territory for him, but a terrain that he recognized he would have to proceed on with utmost caution. He thought back to when his father had lost his mother, the devastation that had claimed the king and the entire castle. His throat felt much tighter and he swallowed hard, trying to clear the feeling.

“How…?” Ten questioned softly, resisting the urge to reach out and soothe Kun as if he was Jungwoo or Yuta. 

“He was sent to the war and he never came back,” Kun explained shortly, the words coming out tightly. It had to be a strenuous effort not to cry. “We were set to be married in two months when he was conscripted. I waited… and waited… but he never came home. I wasn’t myself for a very long time afterwards. Neither were the others. He… my fiance, he meant a lot to all of us.”

“Kun… I’m so sorry,” Ten whispered, reaching out to actually hold Kun’s hand. Kun stared at their intertwined fingers for a long time, as if there was something to untangle there; a secret, a mystery, something other than two hands seeking comfort. “And I’m not apologizing for your loss, because you’ve probably heard that enough. I’m sorry for what I said, for how much it must have hurt you.”

Kun shook his head, his thumb running along Ten’s knuckles, the action more soothing to himself rather than the Unseelie prince. His face was clouded over with darkness, something that didn’t seem fitting for someone full of such light and love. How much light and love he must have lost after the loss of a person who held his heart in his hands, Ten wondered. 

“Most of all,” Ten whispered, his grip tightening on Kun’s hand. “I’m sorry that it’s me you’re marrying and not him.” 

Kun’s head jerked up, dull eyes blazing once more. “Don’t say that. You’re not a bad person and you’re not a bad fiancé either. If I have to marry anyone I suppose I should be lucky that it’s you. Frankly, if they had married me off to BamBam or Lisa I may have died.” 

Ten barked out a laugh at that, inclined to agree with the statement. Lisa and BamBam weren’t so awful once they had grown close to a person, but to outsiders, he could see how terribly intimidating they might be. To Ten, they were little Terrors but they were also his little siblings who crawled into his bed when they were little and the nights that Xinyue couldn’t tuck them into bed he did so instead.

“They’re not available anyways,” Ten pointed out, thinking of three girls with jeweled swords and a soldier in the royal guard with a wicked smile and golden heart. “And they would make terrible spouses. They’re more interested in war games than marriage.” 

“I can tell,” Kun agreed drily but his lips were beginning to quirk up into a content smile which was more than Ten had even allowed himself to hope for.

Their moment of reconciliation was interrupted moments later by the same dark haired woman who appeared at Kun’s room what felt like ages ago. Her eyes were bright, lit up with something wicked yet simultaneously kind, as she ducked into a small curtsy. Ten sat up straighter at her arrival, his face blooming into something of devoted love and admiration. Kun watched this transformation closely, imagining how beautiful his fiance must truly look when he was fully relaxed. With a smile of mere unadulterated affection, he was stunning, but when the Unseelie prince was in love his beauty must have rivalled the gods.

“Ellia,” Ten exclaimed, the greeting much more enthusiastic than Kun was used to observing. “I’ve told you multiple times there’s no need to be so formal with me. How can we help you ma’am?”

“I’m not here for  _ you _ , brat, but if you miss me so much you could always come see me.” Ellia sent Ten a disapproving glare that Kun suspected anyone else would have been beheaded for. Her eyes settled on Kun after a moment, her lips spreading into a friendly smile that made her glow. “I’m here for His Highness, I have a letter for him.”

From a pocket inside of her leather pants, the same leather pants Kun had come accustomed to Princess Lisa wearing, she procured a folded envelope. “It arrived this morning,” she supplied helpfully as she handed it to him.

Kun instantly recognized the handwriting as his mother’s and while his heart clenched, his body tensed. He hadn’t heard from his parents since he had arrived in Eplyae, the letter in his hands being the first news he would receive from Kortrana. He gripped the crumpled paper tighter, inhaling deeply through his nose, a mental preparation for what words might be awaiting him.

“Is there anything I can do for you while I’m here?” Ellia offered, her head cocked in an inherently innocent gesture but her eyes were twinkling. 

Ten’s eyes were trained on Kun as he said, “Will you inform my court that I wish to have dinner with them in my rooms tonight?”

Ellia nodded, her smile slipping into a smirk so easily that it could have been imagined. Her hair rippled as she moved her head, the strands slipping so easily between black and midnight blue that she could have been nothing more than a wraith. She ducked into a curtsy once more, despite the fact that her prince had told her there was no reason to do so. Her parting smile to the two princes was nothing short of amused, as if she knew something about them that they themselves were not even privy to.

“Do you want me to leave?” Ten asked tentatively, watching as Kun turned the envelope over and over in his hands. It seemed as if he was searching for an answer to a question that hadn’t been asked, and likely, wouldn’t ever be asked. They had never talked about their parents, but perhaps that had something to do with the fact that neither of them even bothered to think of their parents that often. 

“No,” Kun said softly, a sigh following his words. “That’s okay. I’ll just be a moment. They’ve probably just sent to check up on me as if you wouldn’t have sent word of my death if it happened.”

Ten bristled at the words, shocked by the bluntness of them. He hadn’t perceived Kun as the bitter type, and he still wasn’t sure that held true, but the look in Kun’s eyes as he opened the letter with care revealed that he would have rather ripped it up than read it. Kun’s eyes scanned the words, once then twice then three times, until he barked out an abrupt laugh and tossed the letter onto the low table between them. 

“What is it?” Ten’s brows furrowed, his attention solely on his fiance rather than the single sheet of paper that had caused so much tension to form in Kun’s body.

Kun shook his head, waving a hand dismissively, as if he could bat away the thoughts that were forming. “It’s nothing special. Just a report of what’s happening in Kortrana.”   
  


Ten blinked. “They didn’t even ask how you were doing?”

Kun shrugged, clearly unbothered by the lack of concern his parents had shown for him. He looked away, out the window, drifting away once more. Ten allowed him this, he didn’t dare push him or question him, since he had been in such a position before. If there was anything he could offer at all, it was a moment of silence, a moment of relief from the burden they both carried full of leaden responsibilities. The same responsibility that weighed so heavily on Joohyun, she no longer knew how to carry herself with a straight spine anymore. Ten could only hope that the same future did not await him or Kun.

*

When Jeno had been dragged from his room by his friends in the late evening, he hadn’t truly wanted to join them. It was late and his body was sore from the rigorous workouts he had gone through with Jaehyun earlier that day, so truthfully his ideal plan for the evening would have been to sprawl out in his bed and read. He’d had every intention of declining Yangyang’s request despite the bright smile the mischievous boy had sent his way, but then his eyes landed upon Mark and Yukhei.

Jeno couldn’t even begin to remember when Mark and Yukhei had joined them in any of their antics, perhaps even longer than they had been staying in Starfire. Once Mark and Yukhei had become distant, Jeno had regretfully found himself doing the same, but with all of his friends at his door asking him to join them for the night… He couldn’t say no even with how exhausted he was. There was nothing more he wanted in the world than to claim some sense of normalcy and this felt like a step towards it.

He hadn’t actually bothered asking what the plans were before he followed them blindly through the halls, their laughter lighting up the confined space in the way that Starfire needed sometimes. In Sunburst, Jeno had become used to sunlight warming his back with every step he took, but in the Unseelie palace there was a distinct lack of windows and distinct lack of candles even, to the point where he wondered if the Unseelie had the ability to see in the dark.    
  


They grew closer to the lower levels, in which Jeno knew that the kitchen resided in, and felt himself relax slightly. Sneaking through a castle to get to the kitchen and eat themselves into an oblivion was something that he was familiar with, something that would remind them of all the antics they used to get into before a blanket of somberness smothered them. 

Laughter drifted from the doorway of the kitchen, not an echo of Jeno and his friends own laughter, but something sharper, something different. It was the kind of laugher that didn’t occur often, but once it did, it made you want to capture it in a bottle if only to listen to when you couldn’t find your own laughter.

Jeno blinked once then twice as he stepped into the kitchen and was greeted by the sight of Prince Renjun and the Laminae. 

Renjun sat at the head of a small table squeezed into the back corner, his hair flopping over his forehead in a way that Jeno had yet to see. His smile was wide, his eyes practically twinkling with the way he was watching his two lovers as they shared a slice of cake. Playing cards were sprawled in between the food that littered the table top, a card game seemingly half-forgotten in favor of eating.

“Your Highness,” Chenle quickly greeted Renjun, shaking off his stupor quicker than the rest of them. Jisung and Chenle both ducked into a deep bows, startlingly in sync as they had been since they were children. The rest of their friends followed lead and bowed to the prince, but Jeno remained stagnant, still staring at the prince.

Renjun returned Jeno’s unwavering gaze, his lips quirked up in a mockery of a smile. Jaemin and Donghyuck had also redirected their attention to Jeno, the scrutiny of three powerful fae causing him to squirm where he stood. He had become accustomed to the act of fading into the background, of becoming a shadow that only stepped into the light when absolutely necessary. It was a trick that had been taught to him by Jaehyun when he had first joined the Royal Guard and it was one that he would utilize for the rest of his life.

“Take a seat,” Renjun said and it wasn’t an offer, it was simply a command. “We just finished having a snack with my sister and her wives. There’s plenty of food left if you’re hungry, the kitchen staff spoiled us just a little too much.”

Jeno’s friends had no qualms about slipping into the abandoned chairs at the table, squishing into the confined space by sharing laps and seats as easily as they shared the food. For Jeno, it was more than that. With the way Renjun was watching him, the command had not been one for Jeno as well; no, in his case it was a  _ dare  _ of whether or not he would be willing to join them. His hands flexed into fists and for once in his life, he wanted to be something less than nice, something much harsher than being polite. He wanted to hold Renjun down by his shoulders, to shout about how unfair the Unseelie prince was before bringing their lips together in a collision that would be felt across the country.

With a flickering glance towards the Laminae, who were also watching him, he knew that it wasn’t an option. He only had one option and he gave into it as he sunk into the seat at the opposite end of the table, facing Renjun head on. The prince gave a pleased smirk and slid a plate across the table with a half finished slice of cake resting on it. Another dare, another test, and one that Jeno had no intention of failing. Jeno held Renjun’s gaze as he took one of the forks laying on the table and scooped up a bite of cake to quickly devour. Renjun’s delighted laughter roused a light flush to form on Jeno’s cheeks.

“I didn’t know any of your siblings were married, Your Highness,” Yangyang spoke through a mouth full of food, magically dissolving the tense atmosphere that had formed around his friend and the prince. Jeno blinked, tore his eyes away from Renjun and instead allowed them to drink in the Laminae, who had returned to their bubble of rose-colored love.

Renjun’s smile was polite but his head tilt betrayed the lethalness he kept hidden well. “Good. It’s good that you didn’t know, since that’s exactly what Joohyun wanted. When she bound herself to her loves a century ago she kept it secret for a good reason. I assume you will manage to keep her secret?”

Yangyang’s eyes widened by a fraction and he nodded fast, in an undignified manner that Jeno suspected would have Yangyang’s mom weeping if she witnessed. Out of them all, Yangyang and Chenle had the best court manners, which was something that was a bit shocking to the rest of them considering how unruly they could get in private. Jeno had to admit that sometimes he found himself wishing that he had also been taught proper court manners rather than different offensive maneuvers in battle. 

“Jeno.”

A shiver wracked through Jeno at the sound of his name being spoken in unison by the iconic warriors that were bound to a prince of darkness until the end of eternity. He turned in his seat to face the Twin Blades of Eplyae, a shy smile working it’s way on his face. It seemed impossible that Donghyuck’s skin had grown tanner since they had least seen each other in that tavern, that both boys' skin seemed to glisten in the low lighting. 

“Have you been recovering well?” Jaemin inquired, his head tilting just slightly, similar to the way Renjun had done so in answering Yangyang’s question. How intriguing that they carried the same habits, easily picked up by one another over the decades they had spent observing one another. 

Jeno wondered if he would ever find anyone that he could experience that with or if he would die in war before he could even attempt to do so. 

“I wasn’t injured,” Jeno rebutted, raising an eyebrow and biting down on the tongs of the fork. There was no cake left on the fork, but the action was soothing in a way that he couldn’t truly comprehend. “There was nothing to recover from.”

“There’s trauma to recover from.” Jaemin was insistent, obvious by the way his eyes slanted and his lips curved up into an obnoxiously distracting grin. Donghyuck ran his hand over the back of Jaemin’s neck before resting in the hair that curled along the edges of his ears; while showing affection he still managed to concentrate on Jeno.

Jeno narrowed his eyes, not one to back down, not even when Johnny had pinned him to the sand that one day during training with a sword at his chin. “I’m not sure there was anything particularly traumatic about that day.”   
  


Donghyuck’s eyes were sparkling as he posited, “The thought of both of your commanders dying, that your prince may be captured, that is rather traumatic if I must say so myself. You almost died, Lee Jeno, but our prince decided to save you. There’s nothing keeping you awake at night from all of that?”

Jeno’s fingers found the handle of a knife resting on the table, and both of the lovers followed the movement of his hand, but neither seemed too disconcerted. It was the mentality of predators that knew they could kill their prey easily, the mentality of two warriors that had their teeth prepared to clamp down on their enemies throat. 

“Are you ever kept awake at night by the thoughts of those you’ve killed?” The question slipped through Jeno’s lips before he could even think of halting it, before he could even consider how it might offend them. 

Shockingly, neither of them bristled, but rather shared wolfish smiles that had Jeno freezing. While it seemed as if both were more than prepared to give Jeno an answer, Renjun was interrupting before they could do so. 

“My loves,” Renjun purred, his grin the feline reflection of his warriors’ lupine smiles. “It’s rude to ignore the rest of our company, don’t you think?”

Jaemin and Donghyuck’s grins were far from apologetic, but Jeno didn’t mind. He watched as they slowly integrated themselves into the conversation, asking the appropriate questions about Mark and Yukhei’s relationship while gracefully dodging any questions pertaining to their relationship they shared with Renjun. As he watched them, he felt Renjun watch him in return, and as they continued to play and cat and mouse, Jeno realized he was edging on something that would result in no turn.

In that moment, he knew that giving into the three and whatever game they wanted to play with him would be the same as giving into the sea and allowing her to take him wherever she desired. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that this chapter took so long to get out but with the scene where kun confessed about his fiance i wanted to get it exactly right so it took me awhile but i hope that it was worth the wait at least! as always i hope that you enjoyed, if you are feeling so inclined please leave kudos or comments they really encourage me hehe
> 
> if you wanna talk or hang out here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) and [curious cat](https://t.co/0W7CyOjNRV?amp=1)


	11. XI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past and present bleed together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is mostly unbetaed because i got tired of reading my own writing i will come back to edit it later

Jaehyun had come to a decision, one that wasn’t all that surprising to anyone who knew him well or knew how he thought, and ultimately it was something he knew that was coming. 

He had decided he was completely and utterly exhausted of the Unseelie and Starfire.

There was one Unseelie in particular that had truthfully caused Jaehyun to come to this decision, but he hadn’t seen the vexing fae since the event at the tavern almost two weeks ago. Jaehyun had spent most of his days training with Johnny and the other soldiers, occasionally making the mistake of running into courtiers or visiting nobles, and each time he regretted it. It wasn’t that they were rude, but rather they were so cold that sometimes Jaehyun feared his veins would never warm again. Every interaction left with him a chill coating his body, which was something he hadn’t dealt with when it came to Doyoung or his friends.

He missed Kortrana. He missed the sun on his skin as he fell into the warm sand during a spar with Johnny; he missed dipping into the sea once they had finished training for the day and splashing the salty water into Johnny’s face. Most of all, he missed the sense of familiarity and ease. The lack of comfort to be found in Starfire was to be expected but still disappointed, and often left Jaehyun wandering the halls in the evening, searching for something that would not be found.

It was one of those evenings where he was wandering, as lost as ever, when he stumbled upon the Ancestors Hall. He recalled the Ancestors Hall of Sunburst, how little he and his friends bothered to visit since there wasn’t much to learn that they hadn’t already been taught. The Unseelie were completely different, though, and completely unfamiliar as well. Jaehyun could hardly recall any Unseelie rulers other than King Jin and Queen Chungha, both powerful and hated by the Seelie. 

With wavering steps, he entered the hall, eager to drink in any of the history that he possibly could. It wasn’t comforting, not really, but he figured it was the closest that he would get to it. A shared tradition, something that he could almost understand in a castle and city that offered him little to nothing.

As expected, the first portrait was of their first queen. Chungha’s expression wasn’t exactly somber, leaning more towards serious than anything else, but even in a painting there was a sparkle to her eyes. Her silver hair fell over her shoulders, a stark contrast to the crimson red of the gown she wore, and a reminder of why similarly colored hair was considered a blessing in Unseelie culture. 

Despite the fact that it was probably considered treason to think so, Jaehyun couldn’t help but find the first Unseelie Queen beautiful.

After a moment of drinking her in, Jaehyun forced himself to move on, to study the portraits and any information that might accompany them. He had come a long way down the hall, without even realizing, when voices drift to him. One is familiar enough while the other is not, not an uncommon occurrence, but startling that anyone else was in the hall. Jaehyun quickened his footsteps and turned the small corner to see who else was taking a walk down memory lane.

Jaehyun blinked once then twice at the sight of Doyoung speaking to a flickering ghost of a man. The ghost seemed to be around the same age as Doyoung, but that doesn’t say much since most of the fae’s appearances stopped aging after a couple of decades. So as to say, the ghost could very well have been twenty six or 465 when he died. Based on their expressions, Jaehyun deemed that the conversation was of importance to both parties involved and he hesitated at the aspect of interrupting.

Before he could retreat, though, the ghost was turning to face him, as if he preternaturally sensed an intruder which Jaehyun was sure that he actually had. Jaehyun froze where he stood, flashing the sheepish smile he used often on Taeyong when he was caught stealing sweets from the advisor’s secret stash.

“Who are you?” The ghost inquired, eyes narrowed even as he drew closer to inspect Jaehyun like one of the portraits on the wall.

Doyoung let out a long suffering sigh. “ _ That _ is none of your business, Yuchen.” 

The ghost - Yuchen - turned to flash Doyoung a pout that would have made lesser men melt, surely, before returning to examining Jaehyun thoroughly with the brightest grin. 

“What are you doing here?” Doyoung asked, the first words he had spoken to Jaehyun since they had argued at the tavern. Jaehyun crossed his arms, already prepared to defend himself despite the fact there had been nothing even close to accusatory in Doyoung’s tone.

“I was bored, I went exploring, I ended up here,” Jaehyun explained, tersely.

“He has  _ dimples _ !” Yuchen shrieked, phantom fingers attempting to prod at Jaehyun’s cheeks. 

“Yuchen,” Doyoung growled out, staring the poor ghost down with a harsh glare. “Don’t you have ghostly duties to attend to? Can’t you bother Siyeon or Gahyeon perhaps?”

Yuchen blinked at Doyoung, tilting his head slightly. “We were talking though. It would be rude of me to leave before we’ve finished our conversation.”   
  


Doyoung smiled softly, in a reassuring way that Jaehyun realized with a start he wished was being directed at him. “It’s okay, I’ve asked what I needed. Thank you for your help, Yuchen. Go reek chaos elsewhere.”

Yuchen shrugged and flashed a winning smile at Jaehyun as he shimmered slightly then disappeared completely. Jaehyun blinked, wondering if that was normal behavior for ghosts, or if they were much more solemn about their duties like Siyeon. Maybe each ghost was distinctly different based on their personality, just like the living were. It was truly something that Yuchen managed to be so playful and kind even in death, though. 

Doyoung snapped Jaehyun out of his thought process with a gentle hand on the shoulder, eyes fixed on something over Jaehyun’s head. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow but turned to see what it was that held Doyoung’s attention, and immediately froze. The woman in the portrait resembled Kun’s fiance so much that it left no room as to who she was, especially not with the way her eyes crinkled with her smile in the way that he had seen Princess Joy’s eyes do as well.

Queen Qing, the dead mother of Irene, Ten, and Joy. The most loved queen of the Unseelie after Chungha, held close to every Unseelie fae’s heart. Including Doyoung’s, apparently. 

“If you want to talk,” Doyoung said in a voice so gentle that it hurt, “then we will do it elsewhere. We won’t do it in front of Qing. I’m afraid anything I say to you may be offensive and she wouldn’t approve.”

Jaehyun wanted to argue that there wasn’t much she could do about it if Doyoung  _ did  _ offend her, but he thought of a golden hair and a golden smile and a golden ring buried in sand and thought about how he would say the same if it were for him. He nodded once, allowing Doyoung to lead them away from the hall, far away from Queen Qing and her watching eyes.

Doyoung took them to a small sitting room, something that was not used often considering the Unseelie kept most of their conversations to their own rooms or to the halls, but comfy enough that Jaehyun didn’t feel odd about curling up on one of the couches. Doyoung opted to sit on the low table before the couch, facing Jaehyun in a way that left knots in his gut. 

“We should talk about the fight at the tavern,” Doyoung said, in the reasonable manner that someone with centuries on Jaehyun would speak. Jaehyun almost allowed it to irk him, to take control of him and cause him to snap in some sort of bratty response, but he forced himself to take a deep breath.

“Yes,” Jaehyun agreed. “We should.”

That day… that fight… Jaehyun was sure neither of them would forget it any time soon, and the mere memory of it had Jaehyun reaching for the golden bracelet that circled his wrist.

_ Jaehyun had lost track of Jeno and Johnny a while ago, the fray of witches and civilians making it near impossible to get any visual on his court members, especially not his prince. The thought that Kun might be injured, or even possibly dead, had a sinking sensation form in his gut, but he had to ignore it in order to get out of the tavern alive. What they had originally suspected to be a small coven of witches was not as accurate as they had hoped; it seemed that no matter what direction he looked there was a witch pouncing on yet another innocent fae and there was nothing he could do about it. He had barely managed to rescue a younger looking boy from a witch when he was pounced on by another witch, her teeth gleaming with the metallic blood of fae.  _

_ Her sharp nails dug into Jaehyun’s shoulders as she pinned him to the floor, bony knees digging into ribs and her nose pressing against the soft flesh of his neck as she took a long sniff. When she pulled back, her bloody smile was absolutely delighted and her laugh could only be described as manic. He strained, stretching his arm as much as it would allow in an attempt to reach his sword, but the position the witch had him in made it nearly impossible.  _

_ “Tell me, boy,” she purred, her hand reaching to cup his face with a terrible sweetness, “why do you smell of my kin?” _

_ Jaehyun froze, staring at her with wide eyes that he hoped managed to accurately portray his belief. “I.. I don’t- You’re  _ lying _.”  _

_ The witch’s laugh was beautiful in a way that it shouldn’t be, beautiful in the same way her face was despite the silver blood dripping from her lips. For all the fear the Seelie had towards the Unseelie, Jaehyun figured it was misplaced, and that it should have been focused on the witches who had little qualms about ruining the entire damn city if possible. The witches lived and breathed ruination. _

_ “My kind are many things, boy, but we certainly are not liars,” she said as she dragged her finger along his cheek, the exact position where one of his dimples would have been if he were smiling. “You reek of my kin, love. Should I cut you open and see why?” _

_ Jaehyun resisted the urge to snarl at her. “How can you even tell?” _

_ She scoffed, sitting back slightly, her thin fingers falling away from his cheek to grasp his chin instead. “You think I would not recognize what belongs to myself and my kin? You’re miserably mistaken and terribly lucky that you belong to the witches, I think I would have devoured you already if not for that.”  _

_ Jaehyun had laid pliant for too long, allowed the witch to claim her prey, and he wouldn’t lay there a moment longer. He threw his weight forward, using his larger size to throw her off of him. Her offended shriek grated at his ears but he wasted no time throwing himself towards his sword in order to combat the witch’s twin blades she had aimed at his neck. _

_ Before he could manage to do so, a black booted foot was slamming against the witch’s spine, sending her sprawling onto the ground with an angry yowl. Purple sparks zapped from her fingers as she turned to face Kim Doyoung, who unshockingly, was enjoying himself judging by the smile spread across his lovely face. A raise of a fist and a raise of a sword, a clash that would surely end poorly for those around them, had Jaehyun springing to action and throwing his body over the witch, her magic sputtering as she collided with the floor again.  _

_ The world slowed and came to a stop as sparks of his own came from Jaehyun’s hands; sparks that were native to witch magic and witch magic only. Doyoung’s sword fell to the ground with a harsh clang and the witch inhaled sharply, a smug smile curling at her lips. The golden bracelet that Jaehyun had only worn in hopes that the night would be one of relaxation, slid along his arm as he raised it to reach for Doyoung’s fallen sword. _

_ The witch’s nimble fingers claimed his wrist, a hiss forming on her lips even as her eyes widened at the sight of the bracelet. _

_ “A Jung,” she breathed, attempting to inspect the bracelet. Jaehyun wouldn’t allow her to make his mind even more dizzy with her tricks and without thinking, brought his hand down, the electric sparks consuming the laughing witch.  _

_ Even after the witch stopped breathing and Jaehyun had regained a sense of control, he remained on the floor, staring at Doyoung’s fallen sword. Doyoung watched him, wordlessly, waiting for Jaehyun to say something when there was nothing to be said about the situation they had just witnessed. Gone were the sparks and the electrifying feeling of possessing magic that  _ raged  _ inside of him, but left in its wake was the sickening realization that something was wrong with him and that the witch had been right.  _

_ Words returned to Doyoung and those words were unkind, and despite being numb, Jaehyun met those words with his own acidity. Neither mentioned the fact that Doyoung had sensed something about Jaehyun’s bracelet long before the witch had and neither mentioned that Jaehyun would be killed if anyone else had witnessed what he had done. _

“I will keep your secret,” Doyoung said after they had both reflected for several moments. “But you should know that until we find the reason behind what happened, you’ll be in danger.”

Jaehyun lifted his head, blinking away the blurriness that had formed in his eyes from the memory. “We…?”

Doyoung’s smile was gentle, kind in a way that Jaehyun had not thought he would receive in regards to his situation. “Yes, we, Jaehyun. I wouldn’t leave you to deal with this on your own, not even the Unseelie are so cruel despite what you think.”

“I never thought that you were cruel, Doyoung,” Jaehyun offered in a whisper. Doyoung’s smile felt like the first summer rain and waking up to droplets kissing his face, it felt like everything Jaehyun had been looking for without even realizing it. 

Perhaps Doyoung would end up being the sense of comfort that Jaehyun had searched for so desperately.

*

Something was wrong with Kun. Ten couldn’t be sure what it was and he wouldn’t ask, knowing that there were boundaries when it came to their tentative alliance, but it didn’t mean that Ten couldn’t sense it and that he wasn’t worried. They had been wandering the gardens together for what felt like hours, though Ten couldn’t be sure how much time had actually lapsed. 

Ten had invited Kun on the walk with him to get to know each other better while also searching for ideal flowers for their wedding. Kun had seemed willing to accompany Ten, but not much talking had transpired between them and dinner was growing near, leaving them little options than to head back to the castle. Ten was reluctant for them to part with such a heaviness lingering over them, and especially reluctant to leave Kun in the state that he was in.

“Will you tell me about Kortrana?” Ten asked, the question leaving his mouth before he could even begin to consider the ramifications of asking such a thing. He stumbled over his own words, quick to make it seem less awkward. “I’ve never been. I’d like to hear what it’s like.”

Kun slid a glance Ten’s way, an eyebrow slightly quirked as if he didn’t understand Ten’s motivations but was also too tired to question him on it. Ten met his glance with a firm gaze, unwavering. He would do whatever it took to keep Kun’s mind off what had casted a gloomy spell over the prince.

“It’s beautiful,” Kun said on a sigh, giving into Ten’s wishes. “It’s right upon the coast line, which means the beach lines the city. No matter how deep you are inside the city, you’re never too far from the ocean, which I think is lovely. The summer rain is the best, because the rain is warm which means we can play in it for as long as we want without getting cold.”

“Do you play in the rain a lot?” Ten’s lips lifted into an amused smile. He tried to picture his fiance dancing in the rain with his court members; he definitely couldn’t manage to wrap his head around the image of Lieutenant Johnny Seo and Royal Advisor Lee Taeyong finding time to play with their prince in the rain. 

Kun shook his head, a wistful sigh falling from his lips. “Not so much anymore. It was much more common when Sorin was around.”

“Sorin was your fiance…?” Ten’s heart seized in his chest, recognizing the heaviness upon Kun’s shoulders as the same heaviness on his father’s shoulders. 

Kun nodded, his eyes dropping to the ground and his shoulders curving inwards in an attempt to make himself smaller. If he were smaller, then he would be a less noticeable target for the universe to take its wrath out on. Ten had little doubt that Kun was caught up in remembering moments that were better left forgotten, moments that would haunt him for the rest of his existence because they were moments that would never happen again. 

“He was close with the rest of your court too, then?” Ten questioned because he had to. He had to know what it was like for Kun and his friends, to know about the man who had so heavily altered Ten’s soon to be husband. 

“Sorin was in the Royal Guard with the others, in fact that’s how I met him. He was someone that Jeno and Mark and Yukhei looked up to a lot.” Kun let out a soft sigh, shook his head and shook away the thoughts of someone who he would never see again. “Did you see any flowers that might be favorable for our wedding?”

Ten didn’t understand how Kun could manage to talk about their wedding without hating him, resenting him for not being the man he truly wanted a wedding with. The realization hurt Ten a lot more than he had thought it would. Perhaps Kun would always look at Ten, at the rings they would share, and only think about the person that Ten wasn’t. 

Ten was about to tell Kun that he was prepared to go with any flower that Kun felt appropriate, but before he was given the chance to, three figures were striding directly towards them. His body relaxed slightly at the three females rounding on them, specifically the one that was leading the small group. Once again, Joohyun had opted to wear her training leathers for the day, hopefully indicating that she hadn’t had many meetings that day. 

The two females accompanying the elder princess, however, were just as familiar as his sister. Wendy was dressed the most formally out of the two, her top ruffly and lacy and her pants a simple black to complete the serious ensemble. Her pale locks fell around her in a straight sheet, complimenting her pale skin as well. Seulgi was also clothed in training leathers, inky curls framing her smiling face. In the sunlight, the rings on their hands gleamed brightly. 

“I’ve been looking for you two,” Joohyun said and while her voice was deceptively light, there was a strain to the words that Ten knew was indicative of bad news. 

“It’s your day off,” Ten rebutted, even as he took a step forward to meet his sister and her wives. Wendy shot Ten a smile, her lips pressed in a thin line that created the effect of a grimace more than anything else. He appreciated her attempt at soothing him, though.

“The world doesn’t stop on my account.” Joohyun’s sigh was leaden with a sorrow that Ten couldn’t even begin to understand. For how long had she taken on the duties of a queen without actually being one, and for how long would him and his siblings allow it to continue? “Nor does it stop on your account no matter how much you wish it to.” She turned and shot Kun a wavering smile. “One of your advisors is waiting for you at the doors. They wish to speak to you. I also need to speak to my brother, so I’m afraid we’ll be cutting your walk short today.” 

As the set of siblings watched Kun hurry through the garden to return to the palace, the moment seemed reminiscent of the day that Ten had been informed he was likely to be married off. He tried to put that moment far from his mind, since it seemed far enough away already, especially with everything that had happened in the short span of time since Kun had joined them at Starfire. Ten could only hope that whatever information was awaiting Kun back at the castle wouldn’t be too harsh. 

“What happened?” Ten asked, once he was sure that Kun had reached the doors, had fallen into the embrace of whatever one of his friends greeted him. 

Joohyun shot him a look before her hands came together in front of her, balling into a knot of fingers she often did when nervous about something. Whatever she had to say couldn’t be good at all, not with the way defeat trailed behind her like a cape. His sister didn’t wear defeat well, not one bit, none of the Li children did.

“The Seelie castle has been attacked by a legion of witches,” Joohyun explained curtly. The tightness of her words, the clipped tone of the vowels suggested that she hadn’t wanted to be the one to tell Ten, but had truthfully been the only option. “Kortrana is now overrun with witches. The Seelie are requesting aid, to drive them out of the city. They have also demanded that we move the wedding up, they are insisting that it’s necessary.” 

Ten’s hands flexed into fists, as if he would be the one to personally fight the witches off. His gaze strayed away from his sister, towards where he had watched his betrothed slip away to. He could picture Kun falling to his knees, pleading to know if his parents and his people were okay, begging to know what he could do to help. The only answer would drive a wedge into his heart, tear it to pieces, and suddenly Ten was glad he wasn’t the one forced to give Kun the news. 

“The wedding will be moved up.” It wasn’t an inquiry, but rather a matter of fact statement. There was no way around it. The unification would be needed sooner rather than later in order to solidify the alliance between the two kingdoms. Ten wondered if Kun’s parents even felt the slightest bit guilty about sending their son away, practically using him as a bargaining chip. 

Joohyun nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line and Ten thought that was the end of the conversation but then his sister said, “Ten, there’s something else.”

Ten froze, met eyes with his eldest most beloved sibling. She avoided returning his gaze, eyes glassy as she looked beyond his shoulder. The muscles in her shoulders were so taut then Ten suspected if she held herself any straighter one of the tendons might snap from the exertion. 

“I’m going to Kortrana. My legion is one of the best that Eplyae has. I’ve responded to the King and Queen and informed that myself and my legion will aid Kortrana in driving the witches out.” 

Not for the first time in the past few weeks, Ten’s world shifted and fell away from beneath him. His lungs constricted and his heart came to a stand still, his body rejecting the information just as much as his mind was. A yawning chasm he hadn’t faced in many decades was forming in the recesses of his brain, trying to claim him as it had done several times before. He nearly allowed himself to fall into the inky pit of blackness, allowing it to swallow him up and swath him in a blanket of comfort.

He couldn’t allow that to happen, though, not with what the implications of his sister’s words meant. 

“No,” Ten managed to grind out, grabbing at his sister’s arm as if she was already slipping away from him. “ _ No. _ Why does it have to be you? Send Seulgi, she’s just as capable at commanding your legion as you are.”

“Precious boy,” Joohyun said, using her unrestrained arm to reach up and cup his face. She had given him more small touches in the past months than she had in the past decades. “Seulgi is truly capable, that’s true, but I need her here in safety while I handle this. You think I would be able to get out of bed knowing I had sent my love into danger without me at her side? Would Sicheng do that to Yuta? Would  _ you  _ do that to your prince? I also need her here to look after  _ you. _ ” 

Ten’s fingers were trembling as he released his sister’s arm and took a step back, needing the space to ground himself and take a moment to accept his terrible reality. The moment before him and a moment from centuries past blurred together; how a woman had left him and never returned, how he feared that Joohyun would do the same. 

“Besides,” Joohyun continued softly, a dark look passing over her face, “I suspect that the King and Queen are being less than honest with us. I would like to see if I can’t find what exactly they’re hiding. If not for your sake, but your fiance’s too.”

“But… why?” Ten croaked out, blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear the confusion that was forming beside the fear. 

Joohyun’s smile wasn’t directed at himself, but rather the two women who had been standing resolutely throughout the entire conversation. “Because, Tennie, it’s what he deserves. He’ll be a part of our family and this isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you or Dery.” 

The chasm seemed further away as Ten watched his sister take a step towards her wives, as he watched Wendy slip her hand into Joohyun’s and send a reassuring smile Ten’s way, as he remembered that Joohyun had not just an army but an entire goddamn force of nature backing her up. 

He would not lose Joohyun as he lost his mother; he wouldn’t lose someone like that ever again, not his siblings and especially not Kun.

*

The room that Lee Taeyong stepped into was shrouded in darkness. The curtains were pulled shut and the candles remained unlit, but Taeyong had visited the room enough times that he could navigate his way to the figure slumped in the armchair by the window. He hesitated before coming up behind the chair and resting a hand on the figure’s shoulder, the most comfort he suspected he could offer in the moment. 

“Yongie,” Johnny greeted in a gentle voice, reaching up to cover Taeyong’s hand with his own. “I thought you would be with Kun.”

“I was, but he told me to come see you,” Taeyong admitted in a small voice. “He said that we should be together right now. Are… you okay? Did you get any word on…?”

“Junmyeon is okay. He was hardly harmed.” Johnny had said the words with little intonation, but Taeyong knew his love well enough to know that the information was a relief. If Junmyeon had been fatally injured or killed… Johnny wouldn’t have forgiven himself. He would have blamed himself for eternity that he hadn’t managed to protect his best friend’s lover. 

It truthfully hadn’t been that long ago since Taeyong watched from a distance as Johnny and Junmyeon said their goodbyes to Sehun. No, it had only been a few years since Taeyong had held Johnny for what felt like hours as he cried over the possibility of losing the only family had left. He had made a promise that day to protect Junmyeon for Sehun, and Taeyong had no doubt it was killing Johnny that he hadn’t been there to do exactly as he had sworn. 

“That’s good then,” Taeyong muttered, coming around the chair in order to kneel before Johnny. The moon highlighted the lieutenant's face, the tear tracks that streaked along his cheeks. “He’s alive.  _ We’re  _ alive. It’s okay.”

“I know.” Johnny sighed, his shoulders slumping forward slightly as Taeyong’s hands came up to cup his face. “For a moment, though, I forgot where we were. When I got the letter and read what had happened, I forgot. I thought… I thought that something had happened to you and there was nothing I could do. Jaehyun had to stop me from tearing you out of your meeting just to check if you were… okay.” 

Taeyong wiped at Johnny’s tears, a frown forming. “You must understand how I felt that day in the tavern, then.” 

Johnny peeled Taeyong’s hands away from his face with a groan, shaking his head. “Taeyong, I apologized for that. I apologized  _ profusely  _ for that.” 

“Johnny, I’m not upset with you,” Taeyong couldn’t help the giggle that carried with the words. It was a morose day for any Seelie fae, but Taeyong couldn’t help but be delighted by how sulky Johnny could get occasionally. “I mentioned it because I wanted you to understand. I don’t want us to be apart either, love.”

Silence fell over the room for a moment as Johnny tried to catch up with his own thoughts. Taeyong didn’t dare try to interrupt that process, merely watching him instead. Rather than dwell on the tragedy occurring in Kortrana, he made himself think of a young soldier with tanned skin and a bright smile. To think that they had been together for as long as Johnny had come to work at the castle was beyond Taeyong, and he couldn’t remember a point in his life where he had been without Johnny at his side.

He didn’t want to begin to imagine a time where Johnny wouldn’t be there with him, every step of the way.

Apparently, neither did Johnny. 

“Yongie,” Johnny whispered, reaching out to brush a hand along Taeyong’s cheek. Taeyong melted into the touch, a smile curving along his lips. “Let’s never be apart again. I know we’ve talked about it for a long time and we’ve always said there was never a right moment, but there will  _ never  _ be a right moment. I don’t care about it being  _ right  _ anymore. All I care about is you and being with you forever.”

Taeyong froze, taken off guard for once. “John… Are you saying…?”

“That I want to marry you?” Johnny’s laughter drifted along Taeyong’s skin, more comforting than anything Taeyong had experienced before. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. What do you say, love?”   
  


Taeyong didn’t bother to give an answer, merely throwing himself into Johny’s lap, lips claiming every inch of Johnny’s face that he could manage. Johnny’s hands found Taeyong’s hips easily, holding the smaller male against him tightly even as he laughed through the kisses that Taeyong fell upon him. 

“I’m sorry that I didn’t have a ring or anything,” Johnny whispered, pressing his own small kiss to the corner of Taeyong’s lips.

“Doesn’t matter,” Taeyong hummed, threading his fingers through Johnny’s hair that was truthfully getting a little too long. “None of it matters, not even a little. We’re both alive, our family is alive, and we’re going to be  _ married. _ ”

“You will look lovely in white,” Jonny muttered into Taeyong’s ear before pressing a kiss right beneath it. “Should we tell the others?”

“Not now,” Taeyong mumbled against Johnny’s neck, his arms tightening around his fiance. “For now I just want to be with you.”   
  


And who was Johnny to deny Taeyong anything. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't even know what to say about this chapter except that i hope you enjoy the johnyong fluff i threw in to help make this angsty chapter a little bit more bareable i wanna say it will get less angsty soon but that would be a lie... i hope you enjoyed im really excite to share more about jaehyun and develop his friendship (relationship) with doyoung
> 
> if you wanna talk or hang out here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) and [curious cat](https://t.co/0W7CyOjNRV?amp=1)


	12. XII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love can make the world go round, or stop it.

Kun supposed he should have felt handsome or something along those lines considering it was his wedding day. But he didn’t. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that neither his parents or Princess Irene would be in attendance at the ceremony, the mounting tension in Kortrana monopolizing all of their attention and energy. While he had suspected this very thing would happen, it hurt no less. He was sure it hurt Ten as well, who looked at his sister as if she was responsible for the stars hanging in the sky at night. 

“Why do you look so worked up?” Taeyong asked, his voice light even as he was fussing at Kun’s suit. Ever since his and Jonny’s engagement, Kun had to admit that Taeyong was extremely pleasant to work with.

“I’m not worked up,” Kun grumbled, a slight pout forming, “I’m _ starving _ .”

It felt like hours since he had last ate or drank anything. The moment he had put on his suit for the ceremony he had become a little less human. Taeil and Taeyong hardly wanted him moving, let alone speaking or eating. He supposed he could understand when he looked in the mirror and saw the white silk with gold embroidery, the fabric tantalizingly perfect. In some ways, the suit dared Kun to ruin it, to spill wine or soup on it, perhaps delay the ceremony. Except, he was a prince first and foremost and this was his duty, and duty was something that could not wait. 

Taeyong smoothed down a nonexistent fly away hair. “You can eat at the reception.”

  
Kun didn’t believe that statement whatsoever, wondering if he would be lucky enough to even sit at the party following the ceremony. With politics and princely matters, he would be spending his entire evening standing at Ten’s side, making nice with foreign guests. Perhaps he could find a moment where he would be able to stuff as much food into his mouth as possible. 

Rather than dwelling on the growing pit in his stomach, Kun switched his focus to his royal advisor. Taeyong, for all intents and purposes, was glowing. His blue hair fell on his forehead in the loose curls and his suit carried the colors of Kortrana, light blue and gold, shimmering in the afternoon light that fell through the windows. If anything, Taeyong looked more like a groom than Kun did.

“You look really nice, Yongie,” Kun said softly, wanting to give his friend a compliment if only to repay him for all the wedding planning he had endured.

Taeyong paused and tilted his head as he peered at Kun, searching for an answer to a question that hadn’t been asked. After a moment, the inquisitive look faded into a gentle smile and Taeyong’s hands found one of Kun’s. 

“Don’t be so nervous, Kunnie,” Taeyong whispered, his eyes wide and glistening. “Ten is a good man. I know he’s not Sorin and this isn’t what you pictured for yourself, but… you almost look happy. And that means something to me.”

Kun blinked back tears and clutched Taeyong’s hands tighter, hanging onto a connection that felt so tenuous and easily strained in the moment. He had known for his entire life that he would have Taeyong by his side, and sometimes it made it easy to forget how  _ lucky  _ he was. Surely there were other princes filled to the brim with misery and hatred because they had never had a friend like Taeyong or Taeil, someone to hold them and make promises that everything would be alright.

Kun wondered if Ten had always had someone there for him like that. 

A knock at the door and the echo of footsteps drew Kun back to reality; he reality in which he was about to be married. 

“I’ll be damned, I suppose you do clean up pretty nicely.” The mock lilt of the voice, the twist of vowels and syllables that managed to bite despite the words being nice enough. Kun turned to face BamBam and Lisa, a grin forming on his face.

Perhaps it should have been him commenting on how well they managed to clean up. This was the first time since he had stepped foot into Starfire that he had seen the twins in anything other than fighting leathers, even at the party to celebrate his welcome the twins had foregone any attempts of formal wear. Kun wasn’t entirely shocked to see that rather than a dress, Lisa was wearing a femine suit. Where Lisa garbed white and silver, BamBam was her reflection in black and silver. They were both absolutely stunning, something that was seemingly often forgotten in favor of acknowledging how deadly they were.

“Shouldn’t you two be with your brother?” Kun asked, raising his eyebrows at the two. They were older than him, something he tended to forget, but with the way Ten spoke about them it was easy to see them as bratty little siblings. 

Lisa waved off Kun’s concern with ease, her smile bright. “Do you realize just how many siblings and lovers and friends we have? That room is insanely stuffy, I couldn’t take one more minute of it.” 

“So you came to harass your soon to be brother?” Taeyong questioned, shooting the twins a perturbed look. “The others will be back soon and then this room will be just as stuffy.” 

BamBam stepped around Taeyong, completely ignoring his question in order to stand before Kun and send him an encouraging smile. Kun stiffened and stared as BamBam brought his hands to rest on Kun’s shoulders, squeezing them in what he could only assume was meant to be affectionately. 

“Li and I just wanted to welcome you to the family,” BamBam said softly, his dark eyes shimmering with something Kun couldn’t pin down. “We know you’re an only child, but with us, you don’t have to be any longer. The Li’s fight with each other and for each other. From now on, you have several older siblings and younger siblings who will do anything for you. Welcome home, Kun.” 

Tears pooled in Kun’s eyes, blurring his vision as he attempted to look over BamBam’s shoulder at Lisa. Her smile was kind, much kinder than he had ever seen before, and she looked upon both of them with the affection that only an older sister could carry. Kun reached up and squeezed BamBam’s wrist, unsure how to communicate that he shared the sentiment. BamBam flashed him one more brilliant smile before stepping away and holding out his hand for his sister.

“See you at the party, Kunnie,” Lisa purred before exiting the room with her twin. The two whispered under their breath to each other, their giggles carrying through the halls and back into the room they had just exited. 

Elios’ thread around Kun’s neck eased, giving him room to breathe. That breath of fresh air told Kun everything that he needed to know; it told him that everything was going to be alright. 

*

Ten thought that Kun looked beautiful. 

Kun had no father or mother to walk him down the aisle, and at first it had troubled Ten, until Johnny had offered. Johnny towered over Kun, their shoulders brushing against each other, but the small touch seemed to ease something inside Kun. With every step forward, Kun’s tight shoulders relaxed slightly and his gaze found Ten’s. Ten had spent the entire morning surrounded by family and friends and in the chaos, he had forgotten to wonder how Kun was holding up.

All of those thoughts dripped away, fizzled out of his mind, they no longer mattered. Not when Kun was slowly approaching him, their eyes locked, and he looked as beautiful as he did. The white suit complimented Kun’s tan skin from the beaches of his home and the smile that was forming was completely devastating. Kun could bring kingdoms to their knees; Kun could bring Ten to his knees.

He wasn’t sure when he had started to notice how lovely Kun was, but he didn’t regret it, not for one moment. 

Over the past month of wedding plans and late night meals to discuss final decisions, Kun and Ten had become good friends. It was more than Ten could have hoped for, to have a friend by his side for the rest of his life. If he had to choose someone, he was lucky that it was Kun, who was understanding and kind even when the world was not. He thanked Chungha, and Sunmi and Elios too, for knowing what Kun and Ten needed, what their kingdoms needed. 

It felt like an eternity or maybe the blink of an eye, but Kun was standing opposite of Ten, radiant in his suit and in the sun. Sunmi had given him his own personal spotlight, a blessing to one of her children that was about to be married. He could only manage what the sun in Kortrana did for Kun, how he must have nearly glowed.

The minister began speaking, but neither Kun or Ten looked away from each other. The words didn’t mean much to them, it was ultimately just a speech that was solidifying what they already knew; a life bound to each other, whether they loved, hated, or simply tolerated one another. Ten was merely pleased that had found a way to be friends, something that neither of them came by easily. Love and hatred were things that Ten found often enough, but friends were not. 

“I do” formed on both of the boys tongues, itching to be released, magic hanging heavy in the air from both the boys and their families. The magic whispered over Ten’s skin and hair, caressing along his arms and back, a reminder of just how permanent this union truly was. Anything bound by magic was inherently dangerous, such as his brother and the Laminae, which was why magic wasn’t used to bond marriages. Magic was always present for weddings, though, whether it was being used or not. 

Ten was leaning in to Kun, prepared for that kiss to seal their union, a kiss to go with the rings on their fingers, but he stopped abruptly. His spine stiffened and his magic reared its head, recoiling from the presence of something acrid. Acidic and electrifying, the feeling washed over Ten, alerting him to the fact that the magic rolling through the courtyard was not fae magic at all. 

Ten turned sharply, positioning himself in front of Kun, surveying the area for threats. His father, his siblings, and friends were on their feet as well, weapons drawn. Johnny and Jaehyun had risen to their feet as well, swords unsheathed. King Jin was gripping Hendery’s arm, as if he could stop his son from running head first into danger. Xinyue stood on the other side of Jin, her eyes going an ominous shade of purple as she scanned the area as well, a hand shooting out to grab at Renjun and stop him from exploring. 

All at once, the courtyard descended into chaos; a tree exploded from the roots, flowers caught fire, and guests threw themselves to the ground for cover. Instinctively, Ten gripped Kun by the arms shoving him towards Sicheng who had already made it to the altar with Yuta at his side. Kun shouted in protest, reaching for Ten, but Ten couldn’t be the one to protect him no matter how much guilt ate at him. 

“Get him inside!” Ten barked at his friends, before turning and running down the steps to join the fray. He found his twin sister with ease, their bond making it entirely too easy to locate her. 

Widow Maker was drawn, crimson blood already dripping from the blade onto her crimson gown. He blinked, noting how nice she looked and how quickly it was going to be ruined. Sooyoung glanced at her brother once before tossing him a spare sword from a fallen witch, her expression much more somber than what it usually should have been for battle. It was with a start that he remembered Yerim was there and that she wasn’t by Sooyoung’s side, accounting for the wild look in his twin’s eyes.

“She knows how to fight,” Ten reassured his twin softly. Sooyoung shook her head shortly before turning and bringing her blade down on a witch that had tried to sneak up on them. 

With the knowledge that his twin was safe, Ten moved onto his father and step-mother, navigating the commotion of bodies and blades with precise movements. Jin had put Xinyue behind him, his own sword raised in defense, but Xinyue was practically vibrating, her body glowing an eerie silver. Jin would have to let her fight before her moonfire exploded and decimated half the courtyard. 

“Father!” Ten shouted over the cacophony surrounding them. “What do you need me to do?”

“Get the Seelie and Kunhang inside!” Jin barked back, the order in his voice clear. Ten bristled at the fact that he wouldn’t be able to stay and fight, but he knew that his brother and the Seelie’s were most important. 

Hendery knew how to fight, but he wasn’t as skilled as his siblings, preferring academics over swords. He was soft-hearted, the most out of all of them, and if anything were to befall him, the entire family would take the damn castle down if it meant revenge for him. Renjun was the youngest, but Hendery was the baby. Maneuvering around the king and queen, Ten aimed for his brother and Dejun. Dejun was doing a good job of keeping witches away, but was clear that Hendery was on the verge of panic. 

“Henny!” Ten cried, catching his brother around the waist and dragging him towards the castle. Hendery cried out at first, throwing punches and aiming precise darts of shadows at him. “ _ Kunhang! _ It’s your brother!”

Hendery froze then relaxed slightly into Ten’s hold, before he began struggling again. Ten was having a hard time keeping a hold of him and trying to get inside the castle unnoticed; fighting off a witch with an uncooperative brother would be their demise. He tightened his grip on Hendery, pinning the younger’s arms against his body to at least stop the punches. 

“Dejun!” The desperation in Hendery’s voice broke something deep down in Ten, knowing that he had caused that. “Don’t make me leave him!”

Ten stumbled falling into one of the several alcoves of Starfire. He relaxed, knowing that at least they had made it inside, and used the wall as support as he held onto Hendery once more. Hendery was taller than Ten, but with less training which made it slightly easier to hold his brother down. Tears ran down his brother’s face and his crown must have fallen off at some point in their struggle, but Ten could allow an ounce of pity to flow through him because doing so would mean Hendery would escape back into the courtyard.

“Kunhang, please, baby calm down!” Ten held tight, desperation of his own leaking into his tone. “Dejun knows how to fight, he’ll be okay. But I need to get you to a safe place before I can go help him. Dad wants me to take you somewhere safe.”

“ _ Please! _ ” Hendery continued to beg, his sobs vibrating through his body and into Ten’s own. Ten’s heart was shattering beneath the pressure of what he was doing to his brother, what he was asking of the baby of the family. If it had been Renjun or Lisa, they wouldn’t have dared to make them leave their lover.

Ten rested his head on Hendery’s shoulder, his own tears forming. “Please, Henny, please. I’ll bring Dejun to you, I promise, but I have to take you somewhere safe first. We can’t stay here. Please.”

Hendery became limp in Ten’s arms, his crying quieting slightly. Ten ran a soothing hair through Hendery’s hair, exactly how he knew his brother liked it when he had a rough day. 

Ten ducked his head down to whisper in Hendery’s ear and whisper, “Stand up. Run to my room, lock yourself in there and do  _ not  _ let anyone in unless it’s myself or Dejun.  _ Run.  _ Now.”

Hendery brought himself to his feet, his entire body shaking and tears running down his face. He was a pitiful sight, certainly not the sight of a prince, but a boy who was in love and desperate for his lover to be okay. Ten handed his sword over to his brother, knowing full well that witches could have invaded the castle at that point and that Hendery needed to have some way other than magic to defend himself.

“I love you,” Ten said softly and pressed a kiss to Hendery’s head.

Hendery gifted his brother with a shaky smile. “As I love you, brother.”

Ten watched Hendery until he disappeared around a corner, his heart beating wildly in his chest at the fact that he was technically disobeying his father’s orders. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered. If Hendery lived and Dejun did not, there was no point to it all. Ten had seen his father after his mother had passed and he saw the vacant look that took hold of Kun sometimes. He wouldn’t allow his brother to become a victim of that feeling, even if it meant putting himself in danger. 

Ten had made it three steps into the courtyard when a blinding pain struck him in the back of his head and darkness claimed him.

When light returned to his vision and pain began to radiate again, he became fully aware that he was no longer in the courtyard. Based on the lack of light streaming in from the high windows and the dusty furniture, Ten knew that he was in one of the old suites, back from Chungha’s time. It was a perfect place to take an Unseelie prince, an old section that not many would think to check. On the couch across from him, quiet and tense, sat Kun and Jaehyun. Kun’s eyes were wide, horrified, but Jaehyun’s fists were clenched, betraying the anger that was brewing inside of him.

Jaehyun must have taken Kun from Yuta and Sicheng, to protect himself, and the two had been caught. Ten hated to think about it, but at least it was only them three. 

“Oh, good! You’re awake!”

Ten quickly turned his heady away to face the owner of the voice. He blinked, once then twice, unsure how to handle the fact that a coven of five witches stood watching them. He assumed the one that had spoken had to be the girl who stood at the front, her dark hair pulled into a high ponytail. Crimson blood stained her leathers and Ten had the urge to rip the pony tail from her head. Her cat-like eyes took in Ten for a moment before switching over to Kun and Jaehyun.

“What an awful wedding day,” she said, amusement dripping from her words. “Yuna, Chaeryoung, let’s hope your wedding day will go much more… smoothly.”

The tall girls who stood guard at the door let out high laughs, sharing a grin with each other. The kind of grin that only two lovers could share. At least Ten knew that if he were to strike, he would strike one of them; it would take two of them out, one injured and one too grief stricken. It was a dirty way to fight, but if he wanted to get himself and the Seelie out of there, it would be the only way. 

“Don’t look so scared,” the cat-eyed witch purred, dropping to a crouch in front of Ten. Her smile was deceptively sweet, as if she hadn’t kidnapped two princes. “We won’t hurt you. In fact, we have specific instructions to not hurt you. And I’m not interested in harming your kind. I’m not here with the others. I’m here on specific instructions from someone… much higher up than them.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Ten couldn’t help but bark at her, fully aware that shadows were seeping from him, skittering across the floor. His anger was unleashing his magic, eager to consume and destroy. 

The witch wasn’t put off by his anger, but her smile fell away, a serious look forming. “Ten, do you know what happened to your mother?”

Ten’s entire world shifted then froze, his heart pausing for a moment as well. It had been a very long time since anyone had spoken to him about his mother. She had died when he was extremely young, when he was ten years old. He had been Yongqin until the day his mother had died, and Sooyoung had been Sooyoung, but when he had received the news of her death, the twins shed those names. Ten and Joy; ten years of joy with their mother, which was all they would ever get with her. Four years later, they had a new mother who was kind and beautiful and gave them siblings, but would never be Qing. 

The witch’s gaze turned sympathetic, as if she could see deep inside Ten’s head. 

“Your father told you that she had been killed in an accident in the city. Something having to do with interfering with a brawl, correct?” The witch’s voice was so soft, that the sound of it made something deep in Ten ache. “Except… we both know that it’s not true. Qing was powerful. She would have made it out alive, wouldn’t she?”

Ten wanted to tell her to stop, to shut up, except his mouth wasn’t working. The wound that he had lived with for 314 years had reopened, and was bleeding all over the carpet. 

“Why was she so powerful though, Ten?” The witch continued, her voice growing louder with each sentence. “And why was she in the city to begin with? Without you or Joy or your father? What actually happened to her?”

“Stop it,” Kun warned in a low voice, bringing himself to his feet. “Stop talking about it. It’s none of your business.” 

“Quiet, boy,” another witch spoke up, her short dark hair swinging as she took a step closer to Kun. She didn’t raise a weapon or a finger, but her tone was enough that it had Kun sitting once more. 

“It wasn’t an accident. She was killed, Ten. Assassinated. And why, you must be wondering?” The witch was relentless, her gaze becoming fervent the more she talked. “Because she was a  _ witch _ . Lu Qing was a witch who had fallen in love with a powerful man. She was a girl running from her circumstances and had found something wonderful. And they  _ killed  _ her for it.” 

“ _ Stop! _ ” Ten’s voice broke halfway through the word. He reached to cover his ears but the witch grasped his wrists tightly, preventing him from doing so.

“The Seelie killed your mother, Ten,” she said quietly, tears of her own glistening in her onyx eyes. “Qing gave up her life in Thaynis to start anew here, and they killed her for it.” She turned to look at Kun. “Your parents are murderers.”

“You’re lying,” Kun argued, but his voice was weak. “They wouldn’t have. They can be harsh but they’re not… they’re not killers.”

“Is that so?” The short haired witch stepped forward, her eyes blazing. She gripped Kun’s chin tightly, forcing him to look her in the eye. “Have you ever asked them about Sorin’s body? About the circumstances of how he was killed on the front line? Did you even fucking ask a single question or did you just  _ take _ it?”

Jaehyun jumped up, growling out, “Don’t you dare.”

The witch ignored him and continued. “For a smart boy, you allow yourself to be manipulated so easily. Sorin was  _ not  _ killed on the front lines, you stupid boy. Your fiance was killed by a man hired by  _ your  _ parents. He knew of their corruption, he planned to tell you, to ask you to run away with him. They couldn’t have that, though, could they? Their only son being poisoned by some low life soldier? No. The only option was to  _ kill  _ him before you two could be married. It didn’t matter if it hurt you so long as you stayed.”

Kun was frozen, his mouth open as if he had something to say, but no words came out. His entire body was trembling, as if trying to physically reject the words being spat at him. His parents had killed his fiance and Ten’s mother, if the witches weren’t lying.

“How do you know that?” Jaehyun asked lowly, prepared to expose their lies.

The last witch stepped forward, her inky hair falling around in a way that reminded Ten of Ellia. She pulled envelopes from her pocket and threw them onto the couch, raising an eyebrow, as if to dare them to read the contents. Jaehyun reached to pick them up, but before he could so, the short haired witch was gripping his wrist, narrowing her eyes at the bracelet there.

“A Jung?” She asked, her eyes throwing accusations at him.

He tore his wrist free from her, prepared to lash out if she touched him again. “Maybe. Why does it matter to you?”

The cat-eyed witch grinned, sweet and vicious, Amther’s incarnate with her wild beauty. “It’s just funny, that’s all,” she said, with a small shrug, “That we happen to know a Jung with the same bracelet. So tell me, sweet boy, who’s been lying to you about your heritage?”

Jaehyun stared at her for a long moment, as if she hadn’t confirmed what he already knew. He swallowed, deciding to sacrifice his craving for answers in order to protect the princes. He turned away from her, refusing to answer her. He scooped up the envelopes and ripped the letters from the confines of them. He scanned only two letters, but that’s all it took for his heart to drop to his stomach. 

“Kun… Ten… I’m so sorry,” he whispered, dropping the letters to the couch. Kun scrambled to grab them, to read them for himself, as if Jaehyun’s confirmation wasn’t enough for him. A sob bubble deep inside of him, escaping loudly. 

The official seal of his parents on the envelopes and inside, the truth of their grievances. Kun crumbled to his knees, crumpling the letters in his hands as he did so, his entire world caving in around him. His parents were murderers, they had killed his fiance and Ten’s mother, they had destroyed everything the boys held dear. 

“Now that you know the truth,” the cat-eyed witch said, taking a step back. “I suppose that we can take our leave.” 

Kun and Ten remained where they sat, falling apart along with their lives, while Jaehyun watched the witches to make sure they had all left. They could have been there for seconds or hours or life times before Doyoung, Jungwoo, Mark, and the golden haired girl from the tavern came tearing into the room. Doyoung and Jungwoo dove for Ten, eyes wide with concern and Mark threw himself at Kun, eager to hold his prince.

The female, however, approached Jaehyun, her amber eyes grave. “I don’t know what’s happened,” she said, her voice just as delicate as her features but firm. “But we can’t stay here. We have orders to take you out the back, to the carriages. You and the other nobles and royals are being taken to the estate home for safety. I’m Chaeyoung, one of Lisa’s lovers, and I promise I will protect you and your prince.”

Jaehyun nodded along, though her words weren’t truly settling in. After a moment of gentle coaxing and explanations, they had managed to get the prince's up and out the door, hurrying through the oddly silent castle. For how gigantic the castle was, it took them little time to reach the doors that lead into a peaceful garden with several carriages ready. Yukhei gripped Jaehyun’s arm, leading him towards the carriage that had Jisung and Chenle in it. 

Ten and Kun were ushered over to where the King, Queen, and Ellia were standing. Xinyue bristled at the sight of her step-son in tears, and her and Ellia rushed forward to pull Ten into their arms.

“My boy,” Ellia breathed, stroking Ten’s hair. “What happened? Talk to me, please, love.”

Ten had no words to say, though. There were no words to explain the situation, especially not if Ellia already knew about what happened, which he was almost certain that she did. Ellia and Qing had been best friends, if anyone knew of Qing’s untimely fate, it would be Ellia. Xinyue rested a comforting hand on Ten’s back, guided him over to the carriage and out of Ellia’s touch. 

Xinyue reached out and caught Kun’s wrist, guiding him into the carriage. Jaehyun stiffened, pulled away from Mark in order to follow Kun, unwilling to leave his side after the news he had just received. There was nothing wrong with the Unseelie, but there was no way that they could begin to understand how Kun was feeling. Xinyue jolted slightly at Jaehyun’s sudden present, but offered a warm smile, moving out of the way so he could sit in the large carriage. Broken pieces jangled inside of Ten and Kun as they settled beside each other, Jaehyun sitting with Doyoung. Yuta, Sicheng, and the Terrors were also in the carriage with them, and Ten distantly wondered where his younger siblings were. 

Sooyoung wasn’t in sight either, and he figured she must have been with Yerim. Ellia, Jin, and Xinyue crowded around the door, blocking his sight, rendering him unable to search for her. The three of them wore expressions that only a parent saying goodbye to a child could wear. The thought stung more than it should have, but perhaps that was because Ten never got to say goodbye to Qing. 

“We’ll join you at the estate as soon as possible,” Xinyue promised, her eyes glossing over with tears. Each of her children, being ripped away from her at once, leaving her with a bleeding heart until they met again. “Ten, you’ll be in charge. The moment we can send Irene to you, we will. Look out for each other, please?”

Ellia reached out and cupped Kun’s cheeks. “Take care of my boy for me,  _ please. _ ”

“Ellia,” Ten whimpered, wishing that she could have come with them. Ten reached for her, wanting to hold on for just a moment, even if that was all he was given. 

Ellia was wrenched away from him, her scream tearing through his body. He jolted to his feet, his head colliding with the top of the carriage, but he didn’t feel the pain. Jin slammed the door shut, sending Ten a glare through the window, one that warned him to stay where he was. Doyoung was also on his feet, reaching for the door handle, even as Jin started yelling for them to  _ go go go go _ . Doyoung managed to get the door partly open as the carriage began to lurch forward, and the moment seemed to last an eternity as the nobles and royals were forced to watch the tragedy strike.

The witches forced the king and queen to their knees, Ellia along with them. Screams and cries of horror rang around them, whether it was from the inhabitants of the carriage or servants in the lawn who had been helping with the departure. Ten could hear his sister’s cry of horror as she watched Chaeyoung throw herself at a witch. Fists slammed against the door and windows, desperate to escape, to stop the inevitable from happening.

“ _ Ellia! _ ” Doyoung’s horrified cry rang deep inside Ten’s head. Jaehyun and Sicheng pushed Doyoung down into the seat, to stop him from witnessing something he would never forget. Ellia’s eyes met Ten’s, a smile slowly forming, one that said she regretted nothing.

The smile remained even as a sword severed her head and Doyoung’s scream severed through the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry...? well not really i suffered too while writing this. it's unedited so im super sorry about that but i wanted to give it to you asap. feel free to yell at me in the comments and in my cc...? my apologies once more 
> 
> if you wanna talk or hang out here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) and [curious cat](https://t.co/0W7CyOjNRV?amp=1)


	13. XIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the darkness, there is always a star to light the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another sad chapter... get your tissues i'm sorry.
> 
> p.s. it's unedited i'm sorry i'll come back and edit it eventually

The carriage was astonishingly silent after what they had witnessed, and it remained that way for a long time. Even as the sun began to sink in the sky, darkness cascading over them in a comforting blanket, they remained silent. Lisa and BamBam gripped onto each other, a lifeline in the sea of uncertainty they faced. Yuta and Sicheng were as stoic as ever, but emotions rippled over their impassive faces occasionally. Doyoung’s tears were endless, the collar of his shirt becoming damp before the river ended; there weren’t enough tears in the world to express the sorrow he carried. 

Ten and Kun were the most still out of all of them. If they moved or if they spoke, their broken pieces would jangle and become evident to the others. Sitting in a carriage full of broken people, Jaehyun was unsure what to do. He had his own broken pieces to attempt to mend back together, but somehow it seemed less important in light of what the royals around him were experiencing. The witch with inky hair, a mirror image of the depthless night sky above them, had known of his heritage. He wished he could talk to Doyoung about it, but one look at the anguish in the lord’s eyes had Jaehyun crumpling.

Ellia was dead. The King and Queen were dead. Half of their court was unaccounted for, scattered. For all intents and purposes, from the outside looking in, the Unseelie court had fallen. 

“What if Irene is dead too.”

Lisa’s whispered words were jarring enough to break whatever spell had been casted upon the carriage. The princess’ eyes glimmered with unshed tears, her lips pressed into a thin line. Kun had never seen the Terrors looked so defeated, he hadn’t known that they were capable of anything other than victory. It wasn’t a good look on them, Kun thought. BamBam took his sister’s hands in his own, his gaze transforming completely, determination forming in his eyes.

“She’s okay, Li,” he whispered to her, his voice soft and soothing. “She’s strong.”

Kun decided to keep the Seelie’s corruption to himself. By mentioning it, it would only foster more fear in all of them, and that was the last thing they needed. Beside him, Ten remained silent, his gaze unfocused and glossy. He was looking out the window, but he wasn’t seeing, too caught up in his own thoughts. Kun wanted to reach out, to breach the gap forming between them, but he didn’t know how to. His parents were responsible for the death of Ten’s mom. What they had done was unforgivable, and Kun was almost certain Ten would never be able to look at him the same way again.

The silence drifted over them once more. It was easier, somehow better, than trying to speak about the atrocities that had been committed against them. 

The silence and the night seemed to be eternal, everlasting, until a sudden crash from outside their carriage brought the world back into sharp clarity. Yuta and Sicheng lunged for the swords strapped to their sides, eyes widening and darting between the royals they were sworn to protect. A grim determination had formed in the lines of their face. With a sickening twist to his gut, Kun recognized it as the gaze of two people who were coming to terms with the fact they may die. 

Their carriage came to a lurching stop and before any of them could make a move, both doors were swinging open and light was blinding their eyes. Hands grabbed at Kun, dragging him from the carriage and onto the ground, forcing him to remain in the dewy grass. A knee dug into his back, sharp and painful, pinning him with purpose and rendering him useless. He pressed his cheek against the dirt, squeezing his eyes shut and his mouth moving rapidly in silent prayers to Ovreus, the God of Mercy. 

The cool tip of a sword kissed the bare skin of Kun’s neck. Kun reached blindly across the frozen ground, searching for someone,  _ anyone _ , to hold onto in his last moments. Tears pricked behind his eyelids and he refused to let them spill over. He wondered if this was how Sorin or Queen Qing felt in their final moments, if they merely accepted that they would cease to exist or if their terror left them paralyzed. He almost wished these would not be his last thoughts, but they deserved to be remembered, even if it was only by a soon-to-be dead prince.

He wished that he could at least block out the noises of his friends and court members as they were dragged from their carriages, forced to their knees, their pleading seeping into the cool night air. Their prayers and pleading would go unnoticed, he knew, as the gods had little interest in their affairs any longer. He wondered if Chungha was watching as this tragedy played out, the moonlight dimming with each passing moment, only to blink out completely and forever; it was odd to imagine, but he pictured that was exactly how she would mourn the slaughter of her kin. 

He tried to allow the acceptance to overcome the fear, but how could he be rid of the fear when it had seized his entire body, when it had caused his heart to hammer in his chest and tears to burn his eyes? 

He inhaled deeply, awaiting his impending death, and winced when the sound of a sword severing through skin reached his ears and warm blood sprayed along his face. 

“Get up!” A sharp voice barked at Kun, the command rolling off the words with ease. Whoever this was, they were terribly familiar with giving out orders. 

Kun used his hands to push himself up onto his knees, his arms shaking slightly not from keeping his own weight up but from the fear still coursing through him. Perhaps they wanted him to watch as they slaughtered those he loved one by one. He couldn’t imagine anything more cruel than that. His eyes remained firmly shut, until he reminded himself that every single one of them deserved to have a familiar face looking upon them in their death. He owed them that much at least.

He forced his eyes open and gasped.

All his friends remained untouched, sprawled in the grass with mirrored expressions of awe and apprehension. Laying around the others, however, were several fae sliced open, dying or already dead. The emblazoned symbol of the Seelie could be clearly seen on their uniforms, and suddenly, the blinding light that had greeted them made sense. That was, inherently, a Seelie power.

His heart fell into his gut.

Seelie guards and assassins had intercepted them, tried to kill or capture them. He wasn’t sure what had been the trigger, but Kun’s parents were escalating, willing to endanger their own son if it meant keeping their secrets.

“Your Highness.” The commanding voice from previously. It wasn’t an order, not really, but it still had him lifting his head and looking at the source of the voice. He went incredibly still when they met eyes.

The woman’s jade eyes watched him with an intensity that was in line with how she spoke. The way she carried herself betrayed the fact she didn’t just hold power, she had worked to obtain that power. Her inky hair drifted around her pale face in the breeze, and in her hand she held a beautiful sword, the pommel crafted to look like a roaring dragon. Her crimson leather armor was splattered with the silver blood of fae. In her, Kun recognized something, but he couldn’t identify what it was.

“Who are you?” He managed to croak out, blinking in an attempt to see her clearer and to rid himself of tears. 

Her smile was a double edged sword, beautiful and cruel at once. “Your savior, it seems.” She paused, before taking a knee before Kun, putting herself at the same level as him. It shouldn’t have been as comforting as it was. “You’re lucky that I happened to be keeping an eye on you and the Unseelie royals. I didn’t think they would escalate so quickly.”

Her words didn’t make sense to him. Nothing made sense to him any longer.

“You’re not a faerie,” he whispered, staring at her with round eyes. He felt like a little boy, sitting beneath his father’s desk while he met with war strategists. 

Her laugh was much too lovely for the gruesome scene before them. “Why would I want to be one of you?”

Her question should have been mocking or hurtful, but he felt nothing. The longer he stared at her, the more familiar the features of her face became. The slant of her cheekbones, the slope of her nose, the cat-like quality to her eyes. He had seen them all before, just not on her face. HIs eyes drifted to Ten, who had curled himself around his twin protectively. Joy, who Kun had never seen waver once, was crumbling in on herself, gripping onto her brother and a woman Kun had never seen before.

Ten met Kun’s gaze, a frown forming. 

“We can’t stay here,” said the dragon-woman, with her blazing green eyes and fire-breathing tone of voice. “We have to move. If we don’t move, then they’ll find you again. And while I think that myself and my friends can take them, you and your friends need a place to rest.”

She held out a blood stained hand for him. He stared, for a very long moment, and then took her hand, the two rising together. Looking back on this moment one day, he would realize just how important it was, but at the time, he merely wanted to collapse. Nothing meant much of anything to him with all that he had faced that day. 

The woman looked over his shoulder, to the carriages. “We’ll lead the way. All you have to do is follow and stay quiet.” 

Kun couldn’t dispute with her on that, he was much too tired to even attempt to argue. She had saved their lives, and for the moment, would be their best bet at getting somewhere safe. Johnny and Jaehyun appeared at Kun’s sides, their expressions grim and silver blood on their face shining beneath the moonlight. The two Seelie guards scrutinized the woman who stood before them, but she didn’t waver beneath their stare, merely grinned.

“Get in the carriage,” her voice slipped into a purr, both compelling and dangerous at once. 

Kun gripped Johnny and Jaehyun by their arms, steering them towards the carriages that stood still in the road. Both of his friends attempted to speak with him, but Kun waved them off and stepped back into the carriage he had occupied not even moments before. Time dragged on, slowly and unrealistically, as the others returned to the carriages as well. Their expressions betrayed just how apprehensive they were feeling as well. With the door cracked open, Kun could watch as Sooyoung kept one hand on Widow Maker and one hand on her love. 

He could also watch as the snow began to fall, in small, fluffy fakes. It was so ridiculous that he could have laughed, but instead of indulging in the hysterics attempting to sweep through him, Kun gripped Ten’s hand tightly. Ten turned to look at Kun, his eyebrows furrowing, but didn’t pull away. He turned his hand to entwine their fingers properly and squeezed Kun’s hand reassuringly. 

They held hands for a long time, until the carriages came to a stop in front of a bland but sprawling manor. It came off as extremely unassuming, in tones of muted grey and cream, blending into the tree line well enough that it wasn’t questionable, perhaps just a country manor for a noble family. Kun knew better than to assume that was merely what the estate was, though.

Standing at the weathered front door of the manor was the woman who had come to Kun’s rescue, but standing in a semi circle around her were three other women and a man. 

“Ten…” Kun warned as the Unseelie prince reached to open the door and step out. Ten shot Kun a look, one that was wary, one that allowed Kun a glimpse into how close Ten was to giving up completely. 

“We have to trust them,” Ten said quietly, his eyelashes shimmering with unshed tears as he blinked and peered at Kun openly. “We have no one else left.” 

And that was the truth of the matter, wasn’t it? All they had left were a handful of carriages and the people inside of them. They had themselves and each other; it wasn’t nearly enough. For a moment, Kun wished Princess Irene was there. He hadn’t known her well, hardly having a chance to speak to her during the months he stayed at Starfire, but she had been kind and strong and intelligent. 

Kun and Ten continued to stare at one another, as if coming to the conclusion that they needed each other more than ever. The moment was shattered by the door being torn open and a red headed woman ducking her head inside. She blinked at them with glowing eyes of gold, amber and ebony flecked throughout the molten irises. Kun’s heart beat harder at the way she observed him, as if she wouldn’t mind taking a bite out of him.

When she spoke, her sharp incisors flashed briefly but threateningly. “Your sister is worried, Your Highness. Perhaps you should come speak to her?” 

Less of a question, more of a command, something that Ten would normally bristle at. Yet, Ten slipped out of the carriage easily, strolling over the snow dusted yard to pull his twin sister into a hug. Kun followed, slowly and unsteady, tip-toeing over sheets of ice, taking up a spot beneath a large tree that provided some cover from the snow. 

Kun had suspected, or rather hoped, that one of his court members would approach him, but before one of them could do so, the dragon girl came walking over to him with a raised chin and a straight spine. Her very being rippled with power, commanding attention and respect, and Kun couldn’t help but identify it with the Li siblings. Up until that night, he had never seen them seem so defeated, and yet they still managed to stand as if they had won. Even if the light in their eyes had dimmed, even when they thought no one was looking they allowed themselves to crumble just slightly. 

“I wish to speak to you and Prince Ten privately,” she said, quietly but not softly. “My friends will take care of your friends, but before I can allow you or His Highness to rest, I must speak with you.” 

Kun wanted to say no. He wanted to throw a tantrum, to scream and cry until his lungs felt as if they might cave in, just as he had when he was a child. Except, he wasn’t a child and he hadn’t truly thrown many tantrums as one either because even then he had been a prince and princes were expected to act a certain way. He nodded at the dragon woman, the two of them walking over to Ten together.

Ten froze when he noticed who had approached him, his hands falling from Joy’s arms and drifting to his sides, hanging uselessly. Seeing Ten not knowing what to do with himself hurt Kun more than he was willing to admit in the moment. 

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” the woman said, but her tone wasn’t apologetic one bit. Even so, she dropped into a bow, her jade eyes pinned on the twins. “I require a private conversation with Prince Kun and Prince Ten. Princess Joy, one of mine will escort you and your consort to a room. Prince’s, please follow me.”

Kun and Ten shot each other a look of utter exhaustion, of understanding, and Kun watched as Ten squeezed Joy’s hand before following the woman with him. They stepped into the manor, the halls shadowed with no candles lit, their steps echoing over the worn wood and marble floors. There were no rugs or carpets or tapestries to absorb any of the noises, as if the owner of the manor wanted to be sure of where people were walking at all times. The thought didn’t strike Kun as too odd, when it once would have, before he had been with the Unseelie the idea wouldn’t have even passed through his mind.

The woman led them into a sitting room, mostly empty other than a few dusty armchairs and a loveseat. She waved her hand impatiently, the movement prompting candles throughout the room to spark to life. She settled herself onto one of the armchairs and watched them closely, waiting for them to join her in sitting. Kun did so, hesitantly, sitting on the very edge of the loveseat. Ten joined him, his shoulder pressing against Kun’s, sharing their warmth, a small comfort in the void of darkness they had been thrust into.

“Do you know who I am?” The woman asked, leaning back in the arm chair. The way she crossed her legs, drummed her nails along the arms of the chair, her chin tilted upwards as she observed them, it was reminiscent of a queen. The thought pricked at something deep in Kun’s memory, but he wasn’t sure what, decades of living cluttering his mind. 

“I’m afraid to say I’m not familiar with you,” Ten admitted softly, his voice much too loud in the silence of the manner. 

The woman’s lips drifted up slightly, her jade green eyes alighting as if she found something about this amusing. “That’s okay, I’m not particularly offended, I didn’t think you would with how little knowledge you have on the witches.” Before either of the men could have a chance to tense at her implications, she continued. “My name is Lu Isobel and I am the rightful heir to the throne of Thaynis. I am, also, your cousin. It’s nice to finally meet you, Yongqin.” 

*

Renjun was floating through an abyss, one that left with him a void where emotions should have existed. Ever since he was young, Xinyue had fussed over him, claiming that he was always a practical child. She had worried that he would become much more ruthless than his older siblings, that he would be able to compartmentalize his feelings so well that he would forget how to feel altogether. As it turned out, she didn’t have to worry very much about that, because then came Jaemin and Donghyuck, and they always reminded Renjun how to  _ feel _ .

For once, he wished that he had become what his mother feared. If only so he wouldn’t have to feel her death, feeling the gaping hole in his chest that bled misery with every moment that passed. Jaemin and Donghyuck weren’t enough to ground him at the moment. Misery loves company, and Renjun and the Laminae shared theirs well. 

When the pale haired woman who had shown Renjun to his room offered to show Jaemin and Donghyuck to another room, they had refused. More than ever, they wished not to be parted. Her eyebrows shot up, but she didn’t question them, merely closing the door behind her as she exited. None of the three boys made a move to part the curtains and allow moonlight in, none of them wished to light a candle either. The darkness was familiar, comforting. 

It was in the darkness that Renjun allowed the tears to fall.

“Renjun…” Jaemin breathed the name out as if it was a prayer, his hands finding the prince’s faces. His thumbs wiped at the tear drops, but they fell faster than he could wipe them away. “My love…” 

“They’re dead.” 

Jaemin nor Donghyuck had a response for that. They hadn’t been alive yet when Queen Qing had died, but they had heard the stories of how the kingdom fell quiet for years, the Queen’s children not leaving the castle again until BamBam and Lisa were born. It had been awful for the three oldest, but now, all the siblings had witnessed the slaughter of their parents. They had been forced to leave their home, leaving their friends and loved ones. 

Renjun, who loathed presenting any form of weakness, slumped into Jaemin’s side. Donghyuck frowned, reaching out for them, as if he could rip the sadness out of them. He would have, too, if he could. Anything so he wouldn’t be faced with the grim hopelessness that had formed in their eyes. Ellia, although not a mother of any of those in the court, had become a motherlike figure for all of the young Unseelie fae. Doyoung’s reaction, his grief, had been felt throughout all the court members. 

The darkness, which they had been created in and become deeply familiar with, entwined around them in a hug. It seemed to recognize its own kind, unsettled by the heavy sadness of the boys. Where Donghyuck and Jaemin's fingers couldn't reach and stroke, the darkness took a chance to cradle and soothe. The Seelie feared the darkness, born from the light and the sun, but for the Unseelie, they had learnt how to embrace it and in turn it took care of its own. 

"Renjun?" A voice whispered into the room, a door creaking open and a slice of light haloing the morose face of Lee Jeno. At first, Renjun thought the light was coming from the hallway, perhaps from a candle or a sliver of moonlight through a window. As Jeno took a hesitant step inside the room, Renjun came to the realization that he was wrong, however.

The light came from Jeno. His skin glimmered, the light shifting as he moved. The glow was not bright enough to hurt their eyes, but it was enough to catch their attention, to have their eyes following his every move. 

The Seelie were born of light, and Jeno was the perfect example of that with his radiant smile and his ability to cast golden light wherever he pleased.

"Did you need something?" Donghyuck asked, quiet and weary. It wasn't often that either of the Laminae allowed themselves to succumb to the turmoil of emotions deep inside of them, but whenever it happened, anyone who wasn't Renjun typically had to duck for cover. Decades of killing and maiming, of loving and losing, created extremely twisted hearts. Renjun knew this, and he loved them even more for their twisted hearts, for what they had sacrificed for them.

He wasn't so sure that Jeno would understand, though. Jeno, who was kind and patient and beautiful, had barely even begun to live yet. He had barely loved or lost, it was more than likely an extremely foreign concept to the poor soldier boy. However much he drilled on those beaches in Kortrana, it paled in comparison to what Renjun and his boys had been through, what they had seen. Jeno was completely unprepared for the war that was on the horizon, the war that they had been hoping to avoid by marrying Ten and Kun.

The war that would breed blood and violence, which was often all the Unseelie were good for. 

Renjun almost felt as if all the good in him had died with his mother. 

"I'm sure your sister is okay," Jeno said after a long, tense moment of utter silence. Jaemin and Donghyuck bristled at Renjun's sides, both prepared to extract Jeno from the room if he overstepped any boundaries. 

"My sister?" Renjun asked, his voice soft enough to be carried away on a winter's wind. "Joohyunnie?" When Renjun could make out the outline of Jeno nodding, he continued. "I'm sure she is. She's always been too smart and too strong for her own good. If your King and Queen attempt to do anything to her, though, I will make them regret it."

Jeno seemed to wince at his words, but he didn't try to scold or lecture. Renjun took pause, wondering if perhaps Jeno was also feeling just as betrayed and reviled as the rest of them. Jeno had always looked for the good in the world and the past day had nearly wretched every good thing away from that boy, had forced him to look at the world and his home with a new perspective. While Renjun had lost his parents, Jeno had watched his entire world get flipped upside down as he was attacked by men he had perhaps trained with. Renjun hadn't thought to ask if the dead soldiers laying in the grass had been Jeno's friends at one point, friends who had been ordered to kill him. 

"Come sit," Renjun ordered, his eyes unfocused as he allowed his head to fall on Donghyuck's shoulder, thin fingers moving through the strands to comb out any knots. "Let us tell you a story, Jeno."

Jeno moved extremely hesitantly, as he did everything in life. Renjun wondered if that was something he had been born with naturally or taught to him in training. The Seelie boy sat on Jaemin's other side, his dark eyes peering at the Prince of the Unseelie imploringly. Jeno was truly and horribly beautiful, enough so that even Donghyuck and Jaemin found themselves watching him sometimes, and the two weren't always so known for their appreciation of the arts. 

"Once upon a time, there was a prince born of darkness and shadows," Renjun began, his hand finding Jeno's. Their intertwined fingers rested in Jaemin's lap, where the silver-haired boy held the joined hands carefully, protectively. "He was the youngest of a line of children born in shadows and darkness and moonlight. What they forget to tell you about these children is that they are also born of blood. These children are bathed in blood, taught how to spill blood, to taste blood. Perhaps this should make monsters out of the children, but they do not become monsters. Not one of the children strayed down the path that the world suspected them to. The children, instead, manage to find love."

Jeno tilted his head, eyes sparkling as he clearly knows who Renjun is speaking of. "They find love? Each and every one of them?"

Renjun nodded, swallowing hard. Donghyuck's hand pressed more persistently against Renjun's head, his fingers a makeshift crown for a prince he swore all fealty to. It's protective and soothing, it's the kind of gesture Renjun needed to continue telling his story.

"The youngest prince, however, sometimes forgot how to love." The sentence came out in a hushed whisper, shame draping over every consonant. "He forgot that in order to not be consumed by the darkness in which he was born, he needed to share his heart with another. The prince would have been consumed, would have become more monster than child, if it hadn't been for two stars in the darkness. They came to him with the promise of love and loyalty, and before the prince knew it, he had found that love. And whenever the darkness threatened to consume him in entirety, just as his older brother sometimes faced, the stars brought him back."

"Did the stars bring him back this time?" Jeno asked, leaning against Jaemin to bring himself closer to Renjun. Jaemin rested a warm hand on Jeno's back, whether it be a warning or an act of comfort was completely ambiguous. 

Renjun lifted his head, eyelashes wet with unshed tears for his parents and Ellia. "No," he answered completely honestly, "It was this ray of sunshine on the horizon that brought me back, this time."

Redness formed high on Jeno's cheek bones, the words seeming to resonate just as much as Renjun had hoped they would. They sat with each other for a while, late into the night. It wasn't until Jaemin began fussing over sleep that the four of them managed to squeeze themselves into the bed, tangled limbs and tangled threads of fate. If each of them dreamed of a night sky being lit up by two stars and a sun, none of them would say, but at least it was better than dreaming of crowned heads rolling over the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well... you got a little more info and context this time but it's still pretty sad? i did throw you a bone with norenhyuckmin though even if it was a lil sad. please feel free to scream at me in the comments or in my cc, i'm lookin forward to what you have to say about miss isobel. 
> 
> if you wanna talk or hang out here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) and [curious cat](https://t.co/0W7CyOjNRV?amp=1)


	14. XIV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, they forget to tell you that a crown is an anchor.

Lu Isobel was reminiscent of Ten’s mother, as much as he was loath to admit it. Her face was a distorted image of Qing’s, but the way she carried herself was so similar to the deceased Unseelie Queen that it ached. Ten couldn’t take his eyes off of Isobel, the pain in his chest growing each movement she made that reminded him of Qing. 

He had spent the previous night laying in bed, alone and drifting through memories he had spent so long attempting to repress. He had declined Kun’s offer to stay with him and when he had done so, Isobel raised an eyebrow at him but refrained from asking any questions on that matter. Ten had been immensely thankful that his supposed cousin had acknowledged the fact that she was not privy to the matters of his personal life. 

After a few hours of solitude, Ten began to regret his decision. It wasn’t merely the memories of his mother haunting him, but everything left unfinished between himself and his father. There were many unresolved issues left between them, issues that would remain eternally unsolved and unanswered. He hadn’t allowed himself to feel the grief yet, focusing on getting everyone to safety. He still couldn’t allow him to succumb to the cresting wave of dark emotions threatening to wash over him. Until Joohyun was located, he would be the acting king as the oldest, and as such he had to keep a level head. 

He had never felt the soul shattering guilt of allowing Joohyun to take the place of their mother as much as he did then. He had allowed her to warp herself to fit into the place that had been left behind, the space that not even Xinyue had been able to fill. Adrift in a sea of uncertainty and loss, Joohyun took on what no one else could, her smile hiding the tears she shed into her pillow each night. 

Ten had been foolish to allow her to become their anchor.

There was no one there to stop him from becoming the new anchor. He had been just as foolish to believe that a crown was heavier than the weight of obligation. 

That sense of obligation lingered as he settled into the seat across from Lu Isobel. When he had woken up that morning, Isobel had intercepted him on his way to the dining room and instead led him to what she had called her office. Two cups of tea had already been waiting for them, steam drifting from the cups, but there was no sign of any servants. Across from him, Isobel stirred honey into her tea, green eyes tracing his every move.

“You don’t trust me,” she said before licking the honey and tea from her spoon, eyes never leaving Ten’s face. “And I don’t blame you. You’ve lost quite a bit, Ten. Your people will be safe in my care, though.” 

“I’m not sure that I can trust anyone, not anymore,” Ten responded, his balled up fists resting in his lap. The honesty of his words should have startled him, but he didn’t have much more left to lose. 

Isobel nodded, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “I remember that feeling. Two centuries ago, when I watched my family fall and scatter, when I became the last living heir to the throne of Thaynis. As my country fell to pieces and we waged war not just with your kind, but each other. My fire went out. All hope felt lost. But I turned that hopelessness into anger, into determination.”

“You want your throne,” Ten whispered, his eyes widening slightly. 

“No,” she rebutted, dropping her spoon onto the desk, leaning back in her seat. “I want  _ peace _ .”

“There hasn’t been peace in generations.” The words felt practiced, as if they were a line he had been spoon fed, and perhaps he had been.   
  


“Don’t you think that should change?” Isobel raised her eyebrows as she brought her tea cup to her mouth. She didn’t sip from it, merely allowed it to hover at her chin as she watched him. “Your mother died in consequence of that war, Ten.”

He hadn’t really needed that reminder. He would never need a reminder, not when it came to the untimely death his mother had met. The truth of her assassination only made her death all the more tragic, all the more difficult for Ten to swallow. He had lost both his parent’s to a war that should have never been waged in the first place. 

“What are you suggesting?” Ten finally asked, after taking a moment to turn over her words in his head. 

“I believe that the source of all our problems can be traced back to Kortrana.” Isobel’s laid back demeanor had faded away completely, and in its place remained the battle hardened witch that starred in several legends. “The King and Queen have managed to hide their true nature well enough that not even their son would have suspected them. But from what I’ve seen, their plans are full of ill intent. We must overthrow them before I can ascend to the throne.”

Ten shook his head, mouth popping open. “You want  _ more  _ war?”

“No,” Isobel said, shaking her head firmly. “I want to stage a coup. I want to put Kun on the throne.” 

Ten’s eyes widened and he leaned forward, tea completely forgotten at this point. He tried to imagine what she was suggesting, sneaking into Kun’s own home and overthrowing his parents, putting the crown on his head. Kun was a good man, a  _ fair  _ man, he would right his parents wrongs as best as he could. Especially with the knowledge that they had orchestrated his fiance’s death. Ten could notice it better than anyone, the resentment that was bubbling beneath the surface of the young prince. Even if Kun wanted his parents off the throne, it didn’t necessarily mean that Kun was ready to take the throne for himself. He was still so terribly young for fae standards.

“What if he doesn’t want the throne or the crown?” Ten ventured, blind to the note of protectiveness that was creeping into his tone. Isobel, however, didn’t miss such things. Her lips quirked into a knowing smile, tapping her spoon against the rim of her tea cup. 

“If that is what he wishes,” Isobel said, cooly, “Then I have alternate means. I have another head for the crown.”

Ten bristled at her words, limbs locking up at the implication of what she had said. As far as Ten was aware, Kun was the sole heir to the Seelie throne. Whatever Isobel had up her sleeve, it couldn’t be good, and Ten resolved that he would have to work hard in order to convince his fiance to agree to her terms. 

“Do you have a plan?” Ten pushed, unwilling to agree to anything until he was certain it wouldn’t cause more ruin. “Do you have any idea on how to approach this or do you fully intend to run into this head first hoping that we’ll, what, catch them off guard?”

Isobel raised her head slightly, chin jutting out in a cutting form of displeasure. Royal disagreements were often ugly, even more so when the two royals happened to be related to each other. While Ten knew better than to watch his tongue, he no longer had his sister by his side to curb such improper words. To be the most responsible, as it turns out, was much more difficult than Joohyun made it look. 

Isobel stood, knocking the office door shut, ensuring that no one could eavesdrop or interrupt without their prior knowledge. Once she felt secure in the knowledge that they were alone, she dropped back into her seat, opened her pretty mouth, and revealed a plan that was merely music to Ten’s ears. 

*

  
  


Ten found Kun in a small sitting room, big enough only for a piano and a loveseat. Kun sat hunched over the piano, slender fingers dancing along the keys, pressing hard enough for merely a hum to echo through the room. Without his crown or any of his guards, Kun seemed a lot smaller, a lot less intimidating. Sooyoung and Joohyun would have laughed if they had been aware of the hesitance that trailed behind Ten every time he sought out Kun. They wouldn’t understand manufactured love, though, and therefore couldn’t understand the strenuous relationship between Kun and himself.

“Kun,” Ten called out softly from the doorway. He didn’t want to enter any further, in fear that he would disrupt Kun. It seemed that his mere presence managed to do that anyways as Kun’s shoulders stiffened, his spine straightening almost immediately. 

“How did your meeting with Isobel go?” Kun asked, eyes glued to the keys of the piano. He had never been good at maintaining eye contact with Ten, especially less so now that he knew of his parent’s involvement in Qing’s death.

“We devised a plan,” Ten admitted, choosing the route of honesty. “We’ll leave for Kortrana tomorrow morning. Isobel and I decided we shouldn’t bring our entire party with us. It would compromise us, not to mention lead to more loose ends and potential casualties.”

Kun winced at the last part. 

For all the death he had witnessed the previous day, he still remained gentle hearted, and that was something that Ten could admire. It still made his chest tighten, his palms sweat, aware of the fact that he would have to ask Kun to give up that quality in order to take the throne. He had never wished to change Kun, not once, and yet it seemed that due to the cards dealt to them he might have to. Perhaps, this was a sign that Ten was changing as well. At one point in his life, Ten would not have given a second thought to the measures that must be taken to finish a war, but with the Seelie’s involved, his entire view had become warped.

“Not many of my people, I assume?”

The question knocked the breath out of Ten. Kun had asked it with a causality that didn’t seem feigned, but the line of his shoulders was still tense and his hands were curled into fists on the keys of the piano. Ten could only imagine the visions circling through his head, the horrific fear that the same fate that befell Ten’s parents could await Yangyang or Chenle. 

“Only a few of your soldiers,” Ten reassured him, taking a wavering step towards the piano. Either Kun didn’t hear him or didn’t care, because the sweet prince didn’t turn to face him. Defeat was worn horribly on Ten, that he knew, but somehow he thought that Kun wore it even worse. Maybe it was worse because Ten could see that they weren’t defeated, but Kun could not, and alongside the defeat lingered guilt. Guilt for something he had taken no part in. “Johnny, Jaehyun, perhaps Yukhei and Mark if that’s okay.”

Kun lifted his head to meet Ten’s gaze as he came to a stop next to the piano. “Will we look for your sister as well?” 

Ten considered the question, brows furrowing. It wasn’t something he had discussed in detail with Isobel, the plan steering more towards the Seelie and their involvement. Joohyun could play a major role in the way that events played out. Ten’s nails dug into the soft flesh of his palm as the mere image of Joohyun being harmed by the Seelie entered his brain. His sister was strong and good and kind, and if they managed to take those qualities from her, he would not hesitate to kill every last one of them. He had lost so much already, he refused to lose her as well; she was not only his hope, but an entire kingdom’s hope and to lose her would mean tragedy.

“Have you eaten?” Ten settled on, unwilling and unable to venture down a road that could lead to self destructing thoughts. To consider what may have already become of his sister was something he couldn’t bear to handle, not when there were so many others counting on him. “I’m sure there’s still food in the dining room.”

“I’m not hungry,” Kun admitted in a small voice, index finger tracing along the black keys of the piano. His dark eyes were glazed over, making it hard to distinguish what emotion could be lurking in their depths. 

Ten’s lips formed a thin line. “You should eat anyway. You’ll need your strength.” 

“Give the food to someone else.” The power of a prince’s voice laid in his words, leaving no room for argument. 

Ten gritted his teeth, swallowing the heat behind his eyes and in his chest. To fight with Kun, to cause unnecessary problems, would lead to inevitable failure. He couldn’t allow petty disagreements and frayed nerves to ruin something that hadn’t even begun yet. The Unseelie way was not the Seelie way, the Sun and the Moon never met and as such could never learn each other’s ways. While he wished to understand Kun, it was not so simple, and he would have to work hard to remind himself and his court members of that.

“Have you slept?” Ten tried instead, a small but genuine smile forming alongside the words. He wanted Kun to trust him, he  _ needed  _ Kun to trust him.

“A little.” Kun sighed, shoulders slumping forward once more. His gaze was still guarded, but his demeanor was softer, something much more casual than what he had been moments before. “But… every time I drift off…”

Ten remained quiet, resting a hand on Kun’s shoulder.

“Sometimes I see his face. Sometimes I see your mother’s. Sometimes I see  _ yours _ . You’re all covered in blood. You’re all begging for something I can’t give, something I don’t even know how to give.” Kun looked away to hide the glassy state of his eyes, tucked his fingers beneath his thighs to hide the way that they tremble. 

“There’s nothing you can do to stop that, Kun,” Ten ventured slowly, not wanting to completely discourage Kun. “In war there are many losses, innocence included in that.”

“It seems that we’ve both lost much more than that.”

The words rang much truer than they should have, striking Ten in his chest with a guilt that weighed so heavy it brought him to sit beside Kun. Together, they watched the sun rise higher in the sky, the snow glistening beneath its rays. When Kun’s hand found Ten’s between their bodies, Ten was quick to squeeze his fingers, a silent promise he hoped that he wouldn’t have to break. 

*

The next morning, as Sunmi’s rays stretched along the horizon, Ten met with the group that would be traveling to Kortrana. The evening beforehand, he had held Kunhang in his arms as his younger brother cried into his shoulder. Kunhang wasn’t typically so emotional, but after so much death and destruction, he had become inconsolable at the concept of Ten also leaving him. He was even less fond of the fact that his brother would be leaving him to enter Kortrana of all places. After he had exhausted himself from crying, Dejun had managed to pry Kunhang off of Ten and wished him best luck with poorly concealed worry in his eyes.

Ten had also met with his twin the prior evening, given her the option to join them and stay. Sooyoung’s eyes had drifted to Yerim, tucked beneath the sheets of their bed, brow furrowed even in her sleep. She hadn’t needed to say a thing in order for Ten to understand; some things were too precious to risk for war, and Yerim was one of those for Sooyoung. 

The Terrors, however, had ambushed Ten in the hallway. Their onyx eyes blazed with hellfire and their blades seemed sharper than ever as they demanded that Ten bring them along with him. He had hardly ever been able to deny them anything, and he was unable to start then. He couldn’t deny them retribution, not when as they walked away together, their hands found one another like magnets, holding on to anything that could be considered a lifeline in the sea of uncertainty they had found themselves in. 

Doyoung and Sicheng would accompany them as well. Both were born diplomats and well equipped warriors, double-edged blades that would be useful in foreign territory. Yuta and Jungwoo would remain behind, an added layer of protection for those that would remain behind. The look Ten had witnessed between Yuta and Sicheng after they had agreed to their roles was much too tender for any outsider, but still, Ten watched. It was these moments he would cherish the most if everything truly fell apart.

Out of the Seelie, predictably, Johnny and Jaehyun had offered to join them, but unpredictably, Lee Jeno stepped forward. Grim determination lined every angle of his face and even as Taeil peered at him mortified, he refused to step down. Ten knew they would need soldiers like him if things were to go badly, and judging by the glint in Isobel’s eyes, she knew it as well. 

Perhaps the most shocking had been when Mark and Yukhei refused to return home in favor of looking over the manor for those who were much more defenseless, and when Ten’s youngest brother presented himself and his lovers. As Ten had prepared himself to deny his brother, Xinyue’s smiling gaze flashed in his mind, and beside his heart a ball of heated anger grew. Renjun deserved to find peace, and if it meant destroying those who had orchestrated his mother’s death, Ten would give it to him.

Outside the front door of the manor, these people lingered. Goodbyes were being exchanged, tearful and drawn out, as if they could hold on long enough they wouldn’t have to let go at all.

Ten wished he could explain to them just how untrue that was, he wished he could tell them that no matter how long you hold on, eventually they will be torn away and holding on tightly just makes it hurt worse. He didn’t tell them any of this, though, instead he leant against the wall, comfortable and secure in the goodbyes he had exchanged the previous night.

His eyes find Isobel easily, distances away from the larger cluster. Beneath the tree that she met Kun under only two nights previously, but what felt like an eternity ago. Standing with her is a dark skinned woman, her deep brown eyes pooled with tears that remain reluctant to be shed. Their hands are interlocked together and for the first time since he had met her, Isobel’s eyebrows pull together into a concerned furrow.

They’re too far away for Ten to make out what they’re saying, but he’s certain he doesn’t need to hear to understand as their lips meet.

Ten drew his gaze away, desperate to not be an intruder on such a private moment, but instead his eyes found Kun’s. The Seelie prince has a comforting arm wrapped around Chenle, who had practically become entangled with Kun. Ten knew that the youngest would be the hardest for Kun to leave behind, but it was due to their age that they needed to remain at the manor. If they were to be drawn into the crossfire, Ten was certain that no one would ever be able to forgive themselves.

Kun ducked down and whispered something in Chenle’s ear that calmed the boy enough to release Kun and pass over to Jisung instead. 

Kun made his way across the melting snow to Ten, a hesitant smile forming on his lips. His entire demeanor seemed lighter than it had the day before and Ten wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that they were returning to his home no matter how corrupted it was. 

“Chenle has made the executive decision that if I don’t make it back he will become the heir to the throne,” Kun confided as he came to rest against the wall next to Ten.

Ten let out a startled laugh. “He really is the brat you make him out to be.”

“He is,” Kun agreed, but his eyes were soft and they trailed Chenle as the boy sought out Jaehyun. “But I wouldn’t have him any other way. I don’t want the world to harden him just yet.”

Ten was inclined to agree with him on that matter. His heart beat painfully inside his chest at the fact that he was unable to shield Renjun and Kunhang from such things, and he could only hope that Kun could protect his young ones for a little longer. 

The farewells lasted for a bit longer before finally, their group set off, dispersed through a few sets of carriages. Isobel hadn’t bothered to introduce the two witches accompanying her, merely directing them to a carriage then disappearing into it after them. Ten and Kun had, predictably, been forced into the same carriage. Neither of them minded horribly though, and Kun had quickly drifted to sleep against the plush lining of the seats anyways.

The morning dwindled on, much too quiet for what their intended plans were, much too quiet in the wake of the destruction they lived in. Isobel had said that they weren’t positioned too far from Seelie land, and she hadn’t been lying. It didn’t take long at all for the Seelie to perk up, their eyes lighting up with something unnameable. Jaehyun pressed his nose against the window of the carriage, batting the curtain covering it out of the way, his dimpled smile making an appearance for the first time throughout the entire trip. Doyoung watched him with dull eyes, but a smile seemed to pull at the corner of his lips.

Kun didn’t wake, but his fingers flexed in his sleep, as if he could feel his kingdom beneath the carriage. There wasn’t much of a noticeable difference to Ten, but he also hadn’t been away from his home for months on end. 

All his life, Ten had heard the stories about Kortrana. The city of the Seelie, the city of the Sun, the Golden City. It had many names, not that Ten gave them much thought, assuming that he would never see it. That was before Kun had waltzed into his life, gentle smile and even gentler soul. For all the beauty Kotrana held, it paled in comparison to Kun’s sleepy but radiant grin at the sight of his city.

The grin was quick to crumble.

It was true that the city was stunning, but ruin riddled the streets. The roads were almost completely void of people, there were very few other carriages, and all the shops were seemingly shuttered. The light in Kun’s eyes dimmed considerably with every desolate block they passed. 

“They’re probably taking shelter,” Jaehyun said, his lips down turned slightly but his eyes soft. “If they knew that you were returning, they would be flocking the streets right now. They adore you, Kun.”

“I just want them to be safe,” Kun croaked out, hand reaching to push open the curtain. Before he could yank the cloth back to take a proper look at the streets, Sicheng was catching his wrist and giving him a firm shake of the head.

“And they will be.” Ten’s gaze drifted away from the window, back to Kun, a new determination settling in his bones. There was only one way that Kortrana would truly be saved, even if Ten didn’t like it that much. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this may seem a bit boring or slow paced but i promise you that this chapter is completely necessary and anything omitted or included is done INTENTIONALLY. 
> 
> comments, kudos, and ccs are great motivators and encouragements for me! thank you for reading, hoping you enjoyed.
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/nanasbun)


	15. XV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We all keep secrets, even the sea in all her glory.

Sunburst stood regal, shimmering in the rays of the sun that had climbed to its highest position in the sky. The golden marble and stone reminded Ten, oddly enough, of Kun’s warm skin. His skin didn’t seem so close to that shade in the moment, his face pale and taut as his gaze focused on the gates opening before them. The only members of their party that was entering the castle grounds were the ones of nobility and royalty. Isobel and her witches had parted from them, hidden away in the heart of Kortrana. 

They hadn’t mentioned where they would be tucking themselves away, but Ten figured it was best that way. If they were questioned at any point, ignorance would be best. 

“The beach  _ is _ pretty,” Doyoung commented, a bit off handedly. Ten wondered if it was his attempt to distract the Seelie or himself. 

“Our beaches are precious to us,” Kun mumbled, almost to himself. “We care for them well.” 

“Your parents.”

Jaehyun’s comment had everyone in their carriage turning their heads, seeking out the King and Queen. It was easy to spot them, peering down at their arriving party from a balcony above the arching entryway. Their expressions were impossible to decipher from the distant they were at, but Ten could make out pinched brows and downturned lips. There didn’t seem to be much excitement regarding the return of their only child. 

“Their city has been rampaged for weeks and yet, they look no worse for wear.” Doyoung’s bitterness was easily felt among the rest of them. The King and Queen had very little sympathy to spare, not for their son and not for their subjects. 

“Try to keep that particular sentiment to yourself,” Jaehyun grumbled, although his gaze was just as dark. He reached out to open their carriage door, but before he could so, it was being pulled open from the other side. The customary sunlight of Kortrana flooded the dim interior of their carriage and the Unseelie reflexively reached up to shield their eyes. 

The servant that happened opened the door for them was tall, but sweet faced, her dark eyes searching eagerly. She dropped into a curtsy the moment her eyes found Kun, lips lifting into a blinding smile. Kun rushed out of the carriage, pulling her into what most royals would have considered an improper hug. Kun had never been like other royals, however, and preferred to dote on his servants rather than ignore them. 

“The others aren’t with you, Your Highness?” There was a wavering note to the servant’s voice, lips pinched together as she searched for an answer in Kun’s face. Word of the siege on Starfire must have reached Kortrana by then.

“They’re in a safe place, Tzuyu. Your friends are safe, they’re alive.”

Nearly imperceptible, the servant seemed to relax, her long limbs loosening at the news. Ten supposed he would have missed it if he hadn’t been trained in body language. Both Ellia and Xinyue insisted that it was important to proper court etiquette, but Ten was as much a courtier as Kun was a warrior. 

“Perhaps you should introduce your husband,” Doyoung advised, stepping out of the carriage to stand beside Kun. During their journey, they had to come to the diplomatic decision to act as if the witches had interrupted after their union had become whole. They hoped that the simple white lie would both provide some hope to the citizens in need of it, and that it would be a good enough protection for Ten if Kun's parents thought to turn on the Unseelie. 

"Your husband!" The servant gasped, her eyes sparking with the exact excitement they had hoped to inspire. Her face, which had been simply glowing since she had set eyes on Kun, lit up even further as Ten exited the carriage.

Ten knew the sort of impact he had upon those who were meeting him for the very first time. He wasn't what most expected; especially not those who had merely only heard second hand rumors of him. His lips turned up into what he hoped to be a welcoming, encouraging smile and his hand found a resting spot upon the small of Kun's back. If the servant, Tzuyu, was dear to Kun, then she would be dear to Ten too. She seemed young, about Renjun or Hendery's age, although it was almost impossible to determine age in their kind. 

"Your Highness." Tzuyu dropped into a low curtsy for her princes. "Welcome home." 

*

The throne room of Sunburst seemed to shimmer in its splendor. The walls of marble and stone were embedded with shards of diamonds and other precious jewels native to the Seelie court. Awaiting their arrival, seated on thrones of crushed velvet and gold, was the King and Queen. They were the spitting image of perfection, faces impassive, not a hair out of place. Their crowns balanced on their heads, as if not even the symbol of their very power dared to defy them. Kun could hardly blame those crowns, not when he was grappling with the idea of defying them as well.

“Mother, Father.” Kun greeted his parents by falling to his knees, bending the knee and his will eternally, as he had always done for them. Ten gritted his teeth at the sight of it, a dark place inside of him rearing its head, persistent on protecting the lovely prince of Seelie. 

“My son,” Queen Xia crooned, but her eyes were void of warmth. “We were informed that you hadn’t been harmed, but it’s so good to see with our own eyes that it’s true.”   
  


“We wouldn’t let any harm come to him, Your Majesty.” BamBam spoke before either Kun or Ten could manage. His hand had rested upon his sword that hung at his side, and his twin stood on his other side, a mirror image with her hand resting on her own sword. “He’s family to us.”

The queen’s smile was thin lipped. “You’ve grown close so quickly. How sweet.” 

“We  _ are _ family,” Renjun interjected, coming to stand on the other side of his brother. The Laminae followed closely behind, falling into line behind the siblings. Where the set of three went, Jeno’s eyes followed, as if he feared that if he looked away long enough, they’d disappear completely.

“I suppose that you are,” King Xieren spoke for the first time. There was a wry twist to his mouth, his ringed fingers clutching at the arms of his throne, and it was no small pleasure that Ten realized the king was stressed.

He could see it in the king’s eyes, something he had never seen in his own father’s eyes in all the year’s the Unseelie King had ruled. Cowardice. The Seelie King was a coward, the fear of losing his favorite puppet closing in on him. Isobel and Ten had both expected this and planned for it, fully aware of how much they would need Kun in order to keep a hold on the kingdom and the throne.

“Darling,” Ten said, his voice as cool as the wind of Eplyae, “You should greet your parents properly. You’ve missed them so much.” 

Kun’s eyes darted to Ten’s, widening just a fraction. Ten did not budge, would not budge, not on something like this. Kun didn’t trust his parents, not anymore, but he clearly still loved them, and that was something he would have to cling to in the following ruins. When his parents tyranny came to an end, when every lie they had crammed down his throat to silence him came to light, he would only have the love in his heart. 

The King and Queen eyed their son’s approaching form with apprehension, yet neither made a move to stop him. If they rejected Kun’s warmth in the presence of so many royals and nobles, it would not bode well for them, especially not with the way the Terrors were watching them. Onyx eyes filled with flames, pinned to their prey, prepared to pounce at the first show of weakness. Renjun’s lovers wore a similar gaze, predatory but amused, as if they would find great joy in ripping Kun’s parents to shreds.

“So sweet,” Lisa purred, her teeth bared in a grim resemblance to a smile. Her fingers flexed on the hilt of her sword, drawing the attention of the guards lining the walls.

Kun’s skin prickled with unease, sweat trickling down his spine at the sensation of his mother dragging her nails along his arms. The press of her fingers was a little too hard, a little too harsh to be considered matronly or anything close to soothing. His father didn’t even offer a hug, merely a strong handshake that left Kun’s bones vibrating. When he returned to Ten’s side, the dark haired fae curled his fingers around Kun’s waist, clutching at the silky fabric of his shirt.

The King and Queen drank in the interaction with hungry eyes. 

“Shall we show the guests to their chambers?” Tzuyu inquired, her sugar cane voice a sweet reprieve from the tension that was slowly growing. 

“That’s a lovely idea,” Ten said, before a member of the Seelie royal family could interject. Kun was staring at Ten as if he had lost his mind, and perhaps he had, but he would no longer allow Kun or anyone else to fall prey to the King and Queen’s tyranny. 

They only held the power if other’s gave them the power. 

Tzuyu ducked into a low curtsy, directed at her King and Queen, but through the curtains of her hair, Ten could see that her eyes were on her prince. Her hair shielded her face from ones she was curtsying to and it was a wonder that Ten had caught her at all. Despite how small it seemed, it was significant. If one servant followed Kun rather than his parents, it meant that there could potentially be others, that they could have more on their side than they originally suspected.

As they exited the throne room, their group remained clustered together, reluctant to part after everything they had faced together. It was a relief when Kun ordered Tzuyu to set his guests up on his floor and to vacate all others from that same floor. There was a glimmer in her eyes as she ducked her down in a small bow, compliance clear in her features. Whoever else resided on Kun’s floor was about to be displaced and from what Ten could tell, Tzuyu had zero qualms about being the one to displace them. 

“Ten,” Johnny said, inching towards the fae who’s name he had called. Ten turned to face him, eyebrows raising questioningly. Johnny was halted by BamBam’s arm stretching out and Lisa coming to stand at Ten’s side, their onyx eyes voidless depths of emotion. There was little love in their movements, even if they adored their older brother; it was their duty to protect their brother (and Kun by extension now) and they would do so without instruction. 

“Try ‘Your Highness’.” Doyoung advised, an arm sliding around Ten’s shoulders from the side that Lisa wasn’t occupying. 

“Your Highness,” Johnny attempted once more and BamBam’s arm fell to his side, allowing the soldier to pass by. “If you and your court members could please escort Kun back to his rooms, I would appreciate it. Jaehyun and I have some business to attend to.”

Lisa let out a scoff, thin fingers wrapping around Kun’s arm and jerking him towards herself. “We won’t let any harm come to him. He’s our brother’s consort and the only heir to the Seelie throne. We’d have to be quite stupid to allow any harm to come to his pretty head.”

Johnny and Jaehyun shared a look, as if they weren’t sure how much they could trust the princess’ words, and Ten truthfully couldn’t blame them. He had been fooled several times by his little sister, but he at least knew that she could be trusted with such important matters as this. Had she ever created chaos in such a dire time she wouldn’t have made it this far into her life. 

“I’ll keep watch too,” Jeno assured his seniors, stepping forward to rest a placating hand on Johnny’s arm. “Go. We’ll speak tonight about whatever information you gather.” 

Johnny still looked doubtful, not of their abilities, but of their surroundings. It seemed that despite the fact they had returned to the Seelie’s home, it may no longer be viewed as such by the Seelie’s in their group. The soldier duo turned, intent on attending to their business, but Johnny paused for a moment, peering over his shoulder.

“If we hear anything about your sister,” he said, his gaze solemn, “you’ll be the first to know, Ten.”

Neither of the twins chastised the lieutenant for the lack of title this time and Ten was thankful for that. The information he would be seeking out was too important. 

They parted with the soldiers, allowing Tzuyu to guide them through the labyrinth of Sunburst. There wasn’t much talking amongst themselves, a direct result of their exhaustion and their curiosity. Ten and his court members were committing as much of the palace to memory as they could. Ten would have to ask for the proper grand tour once they had settled in; he would need to know as much about the palace’s layout as possible. To not be aware of his surroundings would be dangerous, especially with a coup in the works. 

Kun had been extremely quiet since they had stepped foot into the throne room. Perhaps, he was attempting to reorient himself, find his footing in a terrain that was no longer familiar to him. Knowing the truth could only be both a blessing and a curse. With the truth, came liberation, but it also came with the alteration of a long lasting perception. 

Ten rested a hand at the small of his back, hoping for it to be at least mildly soothing. He couldn’t even imagine bringing as much comfort to him as Taeyong or Taeil, but he could at least try to offer some form of support.

“I’m sure your sister is okay,” Kun said quietly, eyes focused straight forward. His typically golden skin was a bit pale, face drawn tight. “She’s strong. She wouldn’t let anyone wipe her off the board so easily.”

“No,” Ten muttered, “She wouldn’t.”

*

Tzuyu, thinking that she’s doing them a favor, makes sure to save Ten and Kun for last, leading them both to Kun’s personal quarters. She couldn’t possibly have known that it was all a facade, that their false matrimony was an attempt to provide a strong front. As she departed the room, she bowed deeply to both of them (shockingly), and shot Kun such a sweet smile that if Ten hadn’t seen the mischief in her eyes he wouldn’t have known better.

“Dinner will be brought to your rooms at sun set,” Tzuyu called over her shoulder, the door shutting behind her, leaving Kun and Ten completely alone.

For an entire moment, Kun stood in his room as much of a stranger to it as Ten was. Lingering among the corners with the shadows laid the memories of a dead fiance and the lies of traitorous parents. It was hard to forget what must be remembered, but harder yet to remember what begged to be forgotten. Those memories, however, were the ones that never rest, the ones that never blissfully fell into the void.

Ten had enough of those memories for a lifetime and he wished to grant Kun the ability to live without them.

Kun took a few breaths to reacquaint himself with his surroundings, but after he did, he made a break for the glass doors that lead out onto a balcony. His fingers grasped at the railing of his balcony tight enough that his knuckles turned white, his chocolate eyes devouring the sight of the ocean. The salt air ruffled his mussed hair, tickled his cheeks with the familiar touch of a friend. 

Ten wondered if at one point this would have brought Kun peace.

“You should bathe,” Ten said before he could really think the words through.

Kun was quick to shake his head, turning to meet Ten’s gaze. “There’s far more important things to do,” Kun sounded more tired than he should have, as if he had aged by at least hundreds of years in the matter of days. “Such as finding Princess Irene.”

Ten stiffened at the mention of his sister, unable to go a single moment where he doesn’t wonder about her well being. He had no doubt that Joohyun was fully capable of taking care of herself, but knowing what the King and Queen were also capable of left him just a bit rattled. He once again regretted the fact that he hadn’t pushed harder for her to bring one of her wives or one of their other siblings. He ultimately knew there was no arguing with his eldest sister, but he wished he would have tried, even if it wouldn’t have lessened his guilt any. These days he had enough guilt that he was swimming it, just barely managing to keep his head above the surface. He imagined that Kun must have felt much of the same way. 

“She knows how to handle herself.” Ten stepped out onto the balcony, gripping Kun’s shoulder. “You should handle yourself as well. There isn’t much we can do for anyone if we don't take care of ourselves as well.”

Kun let out a sigh, dropping his head into his hands. Ten had always thought that he had not worn his defeat well, but on Kun, it looked much worse. Perhaps it was worse because the prince  _ wasn’t  _ defeated, but he surely felt as if he was.

“You couldn’t have known,” Ten whispered, “You loved them, Kun. You couldn’t have known they didn’t feel the same.”

Kun lifted his head, his dark eyes swallowing Ten whole, consuming him in something that he was certain neither of them fully understood. They didn’t have to understand, not just yet, they just needed to let themselves feel it. Ten allowed himself to feel it fully as Kun grabbed Ten’s face, not gently or harshly, just with intent, and pulled him in. Their lips came together for the first time, sliding together in a heat that neither of them would soon forget. 

Ten’s fingers gripped at Kun’s shirt, holding him closely, using the purchase to push the younger against the railing of the balcony. Kun was taller but with him leaning against the railing, Ten didn’t find much trouble. Kun wasn’t as pliant beneath him as he had figured the Seelie prince would have been, he pushed back, tongue sliding against Ten’s with an intensity that had been lacking from him since the night of the wedding. 

As much as Ten longed to fall into Kun, for the Seelie prince to consume him whole, he knew it wasn’t a possibility at that moment. Reluctantly, Ten pulled away, but pressed one last lingering kiss to Kun’s lips. Distantly, Ten warmed at the fact that Kun tasted like honey and tea. 

“You should really bathe,” Ten said breathily, despite him having willed it to come out firmly.

Kun nodded, slightly out of breath, cheeks tinted a pretty pink. “We could go for a walk on the beach afterwards…?”

The sound of something shattering in Ten’s chest was deafening, even as he nodded, shooting Kun the most lovely smile he could muster up. Kun smiled back, eyes lighting up with an adoration Ten couldn’t even begin to fathom. Kun slipped past Ten, back into his bedroom, and Ten found himself staring out at the sea. 

The pull of the waves were tantalizing, hypnotizing in their movements. Ten imagined that Kun had spent many moments of his life out on this very balcony, silently willing the sea to provide him answers. Ten would will the sea to do the same for him, but deep in his soul, he was aware there wasn’t much for him to find. 

All that was left for him to find was acceptance, which was much more difficult to discover. 

*

Renjun found Jeno on the beach where the waves lapped over the sand, the young soldier’s head bowed as he murmured prayers to their God of The Sea. The tips of his light hair were damp, clinging to his skin, and his eyes were shut. The innocence that Jeno wore in that moment was something that Renjun would not soon forget. Donghyuck and Jaemin trailed behind him, silver heads gleaming in the afternoon sun.

“Did you miss it?” Renjun asked as Jaemin dropped to his knees beside Jeno. Donghyuck followed suit, doing so on the other side of Jeno. In the cavity where his heart should have been, something stirred in Renjun, warming at the sight of his loves flanking the enigma they had all become ensnared with.

“The sea?” Jeno croaked out, eyelashes fluttering as he peered up at the youngest prince of the Unseelie. When Renjun nodded, Jeno smiled, sweet and genuine. “Yes, of course. She whispers secrets and stories to those who are willing to listen. I’ve missed her very much.”

“Is that the only thing you missed?” Renjun pressed, fully aware that he may be pushing his limits. Yet, he was hungry. He was hungry for information about this boy who had caught not only his own attention, but his Laminae too. 

Jeno shifted in the sand, a bit uncomfortably, and both of the silver-haired warriors reached out to help balance him. Jeno shot them each a wonderful smile, in which Jaemin returned one and Donghyuck bowed his head. Renjun didn’t miss the way that Jeno’s hands remained on their knees, but he didn’t mind, not as he would have if someone of his court had touched them. 

“There’s not much left here for me,” Jeno admitted, eyes drifting back to the sea. “My mother is here. She lives in the city, in Kortrana, and she works at a tea shop. She loves her job, but she misses my father terribly. He’s on the front lines of the war, along with many others I know. This is not home to me, even if it seems it. My home is where my heart is, and my heart is with my court, my  _ family _ .”

“We’ll help you keep your family safe, Jeno,” Donghyuck promised, determination lining his features. “You helped us to protect ours, we’ll do the same for you.”

“I only wish I could have done better,” Jeno said, a disappointment forming in his eyes that had Renjun clenching his fists. 

“You did your best.” Jaemin’s words were firm, leaving no room for argument. 

“Jeno.” The boy in question lifted his head to meet Renjun’s gaze. “Do you know the story of Queen Chungha?”

Jeno hesitated then nodded his head slowly. “I only know the version that the Seelie have told me, though.”

Renjun smiled, settling into the sand next to Donghyuck. The warrior lifted his hand, quickly threading his fingers through Renjun’s dark locks and guiding his head onto his shoulder. The movement was much easier when he wasn’t wearing a crown, when Donghyuck didn’t have several weapons strapped to him in anticipation of an impending attack. Their entire lives had been a fight, and even in this moment where they weren’t a soldier or a warrior or a prince, they were still grappling in a battle, the front line in their homes.

“We’ll tell you about it one day,” Jaemin said, watching Jeno closely. 

“Will you also tell me your stories as well?” Jeno asked, looking between the two warriors.

Renjun’s shadows, his twin blades. Nearly no one had ever thought to ask them about their own lives, their own stories. They had always been seen as an extension of Renjun. Only Renjun had been the one to see past their duties, to cradle them in his hands and twine strength and softness together. Perhaps they were feral, perhaps they were monsters, but Renjun had been the one to provide them warmth, to provide them a proper home.

For someone else to see them beyond their facade brought tears to Renjun’s eyes.

“One day,” Donghyuck promised, lips tilting up into a slight smile as Renjun pressed a kiss to a mole on his neck. “One day, you will know every part of us, Jeno.”

The sea kissed their skin, as if to solidify that promise. Renjun allowed his eyes to flutter shut, sinking into Donghyuck’s touch. As the sun dipped lower in the sky, the youngest prince listened to both his loves and the sea. He found that he very much liked what he was hearing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this isn't edited but i was just rlly excited to post it aahhhhhhhhh hehe i hope you liked it!! much suspense, but also some fluff since we still have a loooot of heavy stuff to get through! lemme know what you thought, please come scream at me. 
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/nanasbun)


	16. XVI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Prince of Light and the Prince of Darkness take part in a dance of Death.

It had been a rather long time since Kun had witnessed Sunburst in such a lively state. Even before he had left Kortrana for Eplyae, the castle had been withdrawn and quiet, mourning their losses in a war that was still waging. Even now, it seemed wrong to be celebrating, not when Eplyae had seemingly fallen and the Seelie rulers were closeted tyrants. A party being thrown in  _ his  _ honor left a bad taste in his mouth, but he couldn’t deny his parents. Not when he needed them to believe that he was still their loyal, trusting son. 

“You could at least try to look as if you’ve missed them,” Ten drawled from where he was sprawled on Kun’s bed. He was already dressed for the gathering and didn’t seem bothered by the fact that lounging as he was would create wrinkles in his perfectly prepared suit.

“I  _ did _ miss my people,” Kun said matter of factly, eyebrows furrowing together, “It would be a lie to say that I’ve missed anything else. Except for the ocean.”   
  


He turned from his mirror, to peer out the open doors of his balcony. The sea was calm that day, the waves lazily lapping at the shore. There were clouds on the horizon, however, that promised a storm was brewing. He wondered if it was an omen for how the night might go.

“The ocean  _ is  _ rather lovely,” Ten hummed, turning on his side to admire the beach as well.

It had only been a bit earlier that Ten had ushered all of the servants out of the room, claiming that him and his husband would dress their own damn selves. The truth of the matter was that they didn’t really want anyone eavesdropping on their conversations as they discussed how they were to behave at this welcome gathering. The only servant who saw past their facade had been Tzuyu, who sent them a cryptic smile before she ducked out of the room.

They had trusted that she would keep prying ears and eyes far from Kun’s quarters. 

It was odd for Kun to think of his servants being loyal to him rather than his parents, but Ten had gently explained the prior night that he believed there were several members of the court that would stand with Kun sooner than they would the king and queen. Tzuyu, with her sweet disposition and fierce loyalty, would be someone that Kun would be lucky to have on his side if it came down to a fight. 

“I wish we could have had the gathering on the beach,” Kun said a bit wistfully, wandering over to the doorway that led to the balcony. “We tend to do that during the summer, but… storms are too common during the winter. My parents would loath to have a party ruined by a bit of rain.” 

“We’ll have your coronation on the beach.” Ten promised with a slight smile. He raised to his feet, coming to stand beside his fiance. It was with little thought that his arm wound around Kun’s waist, partially comforting and partially in a form of affection. So easily he had fallen into the role of doting husband, and yet, part of him knew that it was not just a role. 

Despite Ten’s attempt to put a smile on Kun’s face, it didn’t seem to work, a far off look still present in the prince’s eyes. Ten frowned and let out a small sigh; he could only imagine what was going through Kun’s head, as ever since they had returned to Kortrana, he had been as distant as ever.

“Come,” Ten said softly, reaching his free hand up to touch Kun’s cheek gently, “Let’s go greet the guests. It’ll make you feel better, I think.”

Kun merely nodded, turning his head slightly to press a kiss to Ten’s palm. Ten was startled by the gesture, yet he couldn’t help but to admit that he  _ liked  _ it. The two made their way down to the ballroom together, hand in hand, chins raised, graceful smiles pasted onto their faces. Their combined courts awaited them at the doors to the ballroom, Johnny and Jaehyun wearing swords at their waists along with the entirety of the Unseelie court members. 

“Are you ready for this?” Jaehyun asked kindly, reaching out to rest his hand on Kun’s arm in an offer of solidarity. 

Kun let out a long, slow exhale before nodding. That nod was the only prompting their courts needed, the fae falling into a practiced formation. Ten and Kun were pushed away from each other, Jaehyun and Johnny coming to stand on either side of Kun, Jeno standing at his back. It was a bit of a shock when one of the Laminae, Donghyuck, came to stand at Kun’s front. He sent a sharp grin the Seelie prince’s way, but it held no malice, just a spark of mischievousness.

Ten’s siblings fell around him, their eyes steely, as if daring someone to attempt to hurt their elder brother. Doyoung and Sicheng hung on the outskirts of the siblings, chins raised and hands on the hilts of their swords; Jaemin stood at Renjun’s side, as if refusing to part any further from him, but his silver eyes rested on Jeno and Donghyuck.

With these procedures and formations in place, the doors where whisked open by castle guards, and as a united front, they entered the ballroom.

Silence seemed to swell in the large room for what felt an eternity, and then, gasps and whispers filled that silence. The Unseelie fae, seen as an enemy for so long, were amongst them, and one of them was even protecting their crown prince. It was a hard sight to take in, a tough fact to accept. When Kun took the throne, when he righted all his parents wrongs, it would be something that they would  _ have  _ to accept. From this moment onwards, the Unseelie fae would no longer be their enemies, but their allies. 

Just as they had entered as one, the fae fell to their knees as one, bowing to the king and queen that sat in thrones at the back of the ballroom. Among their small group, mischievous grins and delighted giggles were exchanged, and the guards nearest to them tensed, recognizing the disrespect being done to their monarchs. They seemed to hold their breaths, waiting for their prince to scold the guests, but Kun did no such thing.

Rather, Kun raised to his feet and reached over the Terrors’ heads, offering his hand to Ten. Ten dropped his fingers into the palm of Kun’s hand, rising to his feet as well, stepping over his siblings in order to stand at Kun’s side. Exactly where he belonged. 

The expressions on the king and queen’s faces were absolutely furious. It was one thing to be undermined by their guests who didn’t fully understand their customs, but to be undermined by their own son was something else entirely. Yet, they couldn’t berate him or punish him, as their subjects would be horrified. The tightness of their smiles, the darkness that swam in their eyes though, it meant that their strategy had worked. 

“Please welcome His Highness Prince Ten, my  _ husband,  _ and his siblings as guests of the royal family,” Kun exclaimed, bright and captivating, taking on the role of crown prince as easily as breathing. Facing his people, speaking to them, he shone brighter than the sun. 

The Unseelie fae took this as their invitation to rise to their feet, despite the true monarchs not having indicated for them to do so. The lines of the king and queen’s faces drew even tighter, their fury rising with each passing moment. Ten’s grin was purely feline, taunting, as if he knew that he had the king and queen exactly where he wanted them. 

They had the upper hand, finally, or so they thought.

It was only a moment before the entire ballroom descended into chaos, the guests exclaiming loudly and pushing one another. The Unseelie were whirling quickly, swords drawn, prepared for any form of attack that may befall them. Except, the person striding into the ballroom was anything but a threat, rather a welcome face.

Princess Li Joohyun came to a stop just a few steps inside the doorway, her chin raised high, her inky hair unbound and spilling over her shoulders. She was in armor made of black leather, made even darker with the blood smeared along it. Bruises and cuts lined the skin that they could see, and in her onyx eyes there was a flame of determination and fury that couldn’t be rivaled. In her hand, she had her sword raised, pointed directly at the thrones.

Her lips pulled back from her teeth, a snarl escaping her. In that moment, she looked purely feral, prepared to leap upon her enemy.

Ten, who was fully aware of the form that lurked beneath her skin, wasn’t all too sure that she wouldn’t tear the king and queen’s throats out in front of all the citizens gathered, if only to prove a point. 

“Seize her!” The Seelie King roared, on his feet and staring at the new Queen of the Unseelie with something more like contempt rather than fear. “ _ Guards!  _ Seize her! And her siblings! It’s a set up! They mean to kill us!”

And with that, a dance of Death erupted in the ballroom.

The Li siblings lurched towards their sister’s side, weapons raised against the Seelie guards that ascended upon them. Where the Terrors’ struck, blood and bodies fell, mercy void from their faces. Wolves of silver and white tore out the throats of those who even attempted to step near Prince Renjun, and Prince Ten guarded his elder sister’s back, sword slicing through guards easily. Doyoung and Sicheng guarded Joohyun’s front, the lethalness they managed to hide behind niceties, bared for the entire Seelie court to see.

In the center of the turmoil, protected by every Unseelie fae present, Princess Joohyun tore into the Seelie that had betrayed her and her family. Not with sword or knife, but rather in the form of a snow leopard, teeth and nails shredding through bodies as if they were paper. 

Kun and his court could do nothing other than stare in horror. His fiance, his newly found family… his parents would have them killed if they could manage to convince the populous that they were a threat.

“Kun?” Johnny inquired, hand gripping the hilt of his sword tight enough that his knuckles had turned white. Kun realized with a start that his friends were waiting for confirmation on whether or not they should join the fray. Jaehyun stood at Johnny’s side, following Doyoung’s every movement with his eyes, muscles tensed as if he was physically holding himself back from joining the battle. 

Kun’s eyes flicked between the Unseelie and his friends, frozen in the moment, attempting to search for a proper answer. The past and the present blurred together, the memory of his friends throwing themselves into battle against the witches emerging, Taeyong’s horrified expression when he had watched Johnny disappear into a sea of steel and blood. It was with that thought in mind that he knew the right answer. 

“No,” he said firmly, turning to look at his friends, “ _ No _ . Run. As far as you can, as quick as you can. Now.”

“Kun-” Johnny immediately began protesting, reaching out for his prince, his  _ friend _ . 

“No!” Kun barked, pushing Johnny toward one of the servants passages, catching the eye of Tzuyu and a familiar guard. “Go. Please! This is the least I can do for you and Taeyong. Do you think that he would forgive you if I allowed something to happen to you?”

Johnny’s face crumpled, his hand falling to his side. There was no argument, nothing to refute; for Taeyong, Johnny would have to obey. Tears glimmered in his eyes, as he realized, that he was to leave his prince, unarmed and alone. Kun shook his head, a sad smile forming on his face. They couldn't think of this moment as their last, because if they did, if they allowed themselves to do so, there would be no recovering from it. 

“Go, Johnny,” he whispered, “I will find you when it’s safe.”

Tzuyu ducked through courtiers and guards, gripping Jeno’s hand when she reached them, pulling him towards the servants passageway. Her eyes and grip were as steely as the Terrors’ swords that cut through the guards, leaving no room for compromise or hesitation. She nodded to her prince, acknowledgement and respect, before she was directing the Seelie members to safety, disappearing with ease.

The art of disappearing was something familiar to the servants in Sunburst and Kun had never been so thankful for it as he watched his friends take on that very art form themselves. 

A cry echoed through the ballroom, louder than the whispers and whimpers of the simpering courtiers, drawing Kun’s attention back to the battle that was being waged by the doorway. His fear stuttered then stopped at the sight that greeted him. Lisa, who had never shown fear or weakness, was on her knees, hands held in the air as she stared at the tip of a sword rested at her twin brother’s throat.

Anger sparked in her eyes, but even stronger than that, fear was stark there. Not a single tear would be shed, but for her brother, for the other half of her soul, she had yielded. Silver blood dripped along the edge of her jaw, but she didn’t seem to notice, not as she growled at the Laminae to stand down. 

And the boys with the hearts of wolves, who had never listened to anyone but their Prince Renjun, laid down at her side, silver eyes fierce as they stared down the guard threatening BamBam's life. Renjun turned, noticing that his loves had abandoned them, and the distraction was enough for a guard to get him to the ground. A low growl emanated from the two wolves, but with Lisa’s furious gaze on them, neither of them dared to move, fully aware that one wrong move could bring Death upon BamBam or Renjun. 

And Ten and Joohyun, the two bravest souls that Kun had ever known, fell to the ground in surrender. 

All the air in the room seemed to disappear as Kun and Ten locked eyes, blood spilling from Ten’s mouth and staining his teeth as he grinned at his fiance. He gave a minor shake of the head, keeping Kun from crossing the room and freeing him. Not that he could even if he wanted to, as guards swarmed him, demanding that he would need to be returned to his personal quarters for protection. 

  
  


For the first time in a very long time, Kun was terribly alone and overflowing with fear. 

*

The sun dipped low in the sky, rain pounding against the windows, as Kun sank to the floor on his knees. The marble bit into his knees but he didn’t notice as he lowered his head to the floor as well, tears flowing down his cheeks. He hadn’t been able to stop the guards when they dragged the Unseelie from the ballroom, towards the dungeons beneath Sunburst, and he hadn’t been able to stop the guards that dragged him to his room. When he had demanded to know why, they claimed that his parents had insisted he be confined to his suite until the castle was deemed safe.

It was only Kun and a select few others who knew the truth. 

It could have been hours or simply minutes that Kun knelt on the floor, crying so hard that he lost his breath several times. He was in the midst of catching his breath once more when the door creaked open and foot steps shuffled over the floor, approaching him slowly, as if he was a wounded animal that might be easily spooked. He supposed that, in a way, he  _ was _ . 

Fingers brushed along his cheek, wiping away the tears that were still falling, and abruptly, painfully, he was reminded of just that morning, when Ten had brushed his own fingers in that same place. He lifted his head, forcing himself to face the person who had come to see him. Tzuyu’s face swam into focus, grim and serious, pinched from exhaustion or anger, perhaps both. Her hair fell around her face, escaping from the braid that it had been pulled back in earlier that day, and her gaze seemed very distant. 

“They’re safe, Kun,” she whispered, weariness lining her words and features, “Vernon and I got them out. They will be okay. And your prince… Nayeon says that he is in the dungeons. He’s mostly unharmed, but he’s guarded well. And not all of them… not all of them are loyal to us. But we will fix this. I promise you.”

He blinked at her, attempting to focus on her words and her kindness. How odd it was, to have her reassure him that everything would be okay, when he was the one that was tasked to care for his people. Tzuyu, though, despite being as young as Jeno, was resilient and strong, insistent on protecting the prince she had sworn her fealty to. When he didn’t answer, that strength in her expression softened to something more sympathetic. 

“Let’s get you to bed, Your Highness,” she muttered, running her fingers through his hair in a soothing manner. He had seen Joohyun do the same to Ten once, when they had still been in Eplyae. It was more comforting than he would have liked to admit and his heart ached at the thought of Joohyun doing the very same for her siblings in the dungeons below. He should have argued, insisted that they searched for more answers and solutions, but exhaustion had settled in his bones, and as much as he was loath to admit it, he had little to no power. 

Kun allowed Tzuyu to help him into his bed, and even allowed her to bring tea in order to help him sleep. Before she left, though, he caught her hand, keeping her at the side of his bed for a moment. She peered at him with her doe eyes, honey brown and sweet despite the events of the day. 

“Tzuyu,” he muttered, “You should get out as well. This castle could very well turn into a warzone. You should escape while you still can.”

Her smile made his stomach twist, the answer to his offer evident on her face. “I know where my place is, Kun. You do too. Do not worry about me or the others, we will prevail as we always do. Get some rest, Your Highness. Things won’t look so bleak in the morning, I promise you.”   
  


With that, she disappeared into the dark, taking her love and warmth with her. 

Kun managed to drift off for a short while, his sleep fitful and full of dark dreams and thoughts. He dreamt of BamBam being killed and Lisa wretching out a horrible scream as she threw herself over his body; he dreamt of Joohyun being beheaded before all her siblings, just as her parents had been; he dreamt of Ten surrendering his own life if only to save his siblings, a single tear tracking down his cheek and a sad smile the last thing he had to offer the world. Even Qing made an appearance, a woman that Kun had never known and because of his own parents, he would never get the chance to know. He twisted and turned, limbs catching in his sheets and blankets. He reached for Ten, only to grip at his pillows heedlessly. Luckily for him, that unrestful unconsciousness was quickly brought to an end. He was torn from his nightmares by the sound of his balcony doors opening, and for a moment, he wondered if Queen Chungha had come to visit him once more. Perhaps to offer guidance. 

Except, when he sat up, searching the darkness, he did not find a silvery haired queen watching him. No, rather, a different queen was standing in the doorway of his balcony, her jade eyes lit with a fiery fury. Standing at her side, with a similarly intelligent green eyed gaze, was none other than Weiqin. 

The Dragon of Thaynis and the panther prowled towards the bed, every bit of them predatory. 

  
“Get up,” Isobel Lu hissed, her hood falling back from her face to reveal the twisted, cruel curve of her mouth, “ _ Get up _ , Prince of Light. We must rescue your Prince of Darkness, and I think it’s time I introduced you to someone very important.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a hot second huh? this chapter is much shorter than i would have liked but it has exactly everything that i need and i want in it so i hope that you wont be too disappointed with it! PLEASE PLEASE LEMME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS!! comments really do keep me going. happy holidays, friends!
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/nanasbun)


	17. XVII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are a few pages of history that are filled with secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> currently, unedited. i will return to edit it shortly. sorry for that hehe

_ “Chungha! Please! Don’t do it!” _

_ Chungha stared at the anguished look of her love, and for the first time in many decades did not even feel the slightest tremor in her heart at the expression. She was lovely, as she always was, but after what had happened, they would never be what they were. It was this thought that had Chungha gripping her saber tighter, pointed at the hollow of her love’s throat. It would tear her hearts to shred to do so, but if need be, she would drive that point through that delicate throat, and she would hold her love as the life bled out of her.  _

_ “It’s what I must do,” Chungha said in a voice that was much stronger than she felt. Her willowy body trembled like a leaf in the wind and sweat poured down the curve of her back. _

_ “Chungha,” Sunmi moaned and her amber eyes as bright as the sun setting in the sky were full of tears. She had crumbled to the floor only moments ago, her red gossamer skirts billowing out around her as if she was covered in Chungha’s blood. Long ago, Chungha would have dropped everything to comfort her. _

_ “Chungha,” she repeated herself, reaching up as if she meant to knock the saber away, or perhaps to reach for Chungha herself. Chungha didn’t allow herself the luxury of finding out; she drove the tip of her saber closer to that terribly fragile skin and Sunmi froze. “Please,” she whispered, “allow me to fix this.” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “There’s no fixing this,” Chungha barked, baring her teeth even as tears of her own stung her eyes. “You were willing to watch your parents execute me, Miya. You did nothing to stop it. There is no fixing that. You are a traitor in every sense of the word.” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “You don’t understand.” Sunmi’s proclamation had Chungha snarling, driving the tip of her saber against Sunmi’s chest just for the satisfaction of seeing silver blood spill over her bodice. Sunmi did not even flinch, as she had been trained from a young age.  _

_ “There is nothing to understand,” Chungha said in a low, dangerous voice. Lightening threaded through her veins, demanding to be released, and on the woman she had once loved, no less. “You have made it perfectly clear where your allegiances lie. I wish you a happy, plentiful marriage with Taemin. Beyond that, I wish nothing else for you. From this moment onwards, I will never even  _ think  _ of you again.”  _

_ “Chungha! Please! Wait!” Sunmi wailed, and in her cries, Chungha could hear the sound of Sunmi’s so-fragile heart shattering. Chungha would not be the one to pick up the pieces for her, never again.  _

_ “Chungha!” A different voice called, and Minji was tearing around the corner, silver blood staining her hands and her clothes. Sunmi looked vaguely horrified at the sight of her friend, coated in the blood of their very own kind, but Chungha was hardly fazed. “Chungha, friend, we must go. Now. We held them off for as long as we could, but we can’t do it for much longer. We have to run now.”  _

_ “Minji, no!” Sunmi stumbled to her feet, her long gown making her clumsy. “You don’t have to go with her, please. I will tell my parents that you were attacked, that the guards thought you were abetting Chungha in her crime.” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Minji turned her eyes on Sunmi, and there was none of the warmth that once resided there for the fae princess. “So you would lie for me sooner than you would lie for your lover, Your Highness?” The title had Sunmi choking on her tears, even as Minji sneered. “No. My loyalty is not with you anymore. You have lost everything, Miya. May you live the rest of your life with the knowledge that you are the architect of your own destruction.” _

_ She stepped around the self-destructing princess and reached out a hand for Chungha, her life long friend, the one she had newly pledged her fealty. They had to move quickly, the rest of their court and friends would be waiting for them at the palace doors and who knows how long they would have before word spread among the guards. _

_ Chungha spared one last glance at Sunmi, curled up on the floor, crying so much that she could hardly breathe. Weak. Sunmi had always been weak no matter how strong the others had tried to make her, and there was no making someone strong when that was not what they desired. Sunmi would continue to live a life in a glass cage and there would be no one there to protect her when that glass shattered.  _

_ In one final act of pity, or perhaps love, Chungha threw her saber to the ground, at Sunmi’s feet.  _

_ The blade, carved with Sunmi’s initials and a fire emblem, no longer felt right in Chungha’s hands. It was more of a mockery than something sacred.  _

_ “Goodbye, Sunmi.”  _

_ With that, Sunmi lost every good thing in her life, and the scream that echoed through the hall was rumored to be the dying breath of her heart.  _

*

Isobel led Kun through the twisting halls of Sunburst with a familiarity that was unsettling at best. There was not a single guard in sight, alerting Kun to the fact that Isobel had seemingly planned this, ensuring her own safety as well as Kun’s. If Kun were caught with witch royalty, it would constitute treason and his parents would be more than delighted to execute him. Weiqin prowled in front of them, as if scouting the way, or protecting them more likely. Isobel was silent until they reached a door that Kun had never encountered before; several heads taller than both of them, made of metal, carved with lightning and flames. The main centerpiece of the art on the door, however, was the roaring lion with a snake coiled around its neck, mouth open as if it was roaring alongside it. 

Isobel flicked the door open with impatience, despite it looking rather heavy, and gestured for Kun to step inside ahead of her. He was a bit uneasy about the prospect of what might be waiting inside, but when he saw the familiar face of Tzuyu, he relaxed slightly. 

The room behind the strange metal door was vast, the walls covered in paintings and several weapons. There were a few couches and even an altar at the far end of the room, rotting petals and an urn on the surface of it. Above the altar was the painting of a familiar face to the Seelie; Queen Sunmi did not look as she was often depicted, however, but rather despondent and cold, as if she had recently fought a long battle and lost. It must have been a portrait done closer to the end of her reign, as her husband was not at her side, as he often was in the other paintings of the castle. 

Sitting on one of the ornate couches, was Tzuyu, purple beneath her eyes but a gentle smile gracing her face. She was speaking with a man that Kun had never encountered before, similar to the door and this strange room. However, Isobel seemed to know him well as she crossed the room and leaned down to wind her arms around him. Kun blinked, shocked by the display of affection from the stoic witch. She hadn’t even hugged Ten or her other cousins upon meeting them.

“Kun, come sit,” Isobel commanded with the ease of someone who often gave out orders. Despite the fact that he was in his own home and that he had a throne and she did not, he followed the order, dropping into an armchair adjacent from the couch that the other three were sitting on.

Tzuyu jumped to her feet, pouring a cup of tea for her prince, and urgently pushing into his hands. “It’ll help you,” she promised before settling down beside the man once more.

The man, who also held a cup of tea, scrutinized Kun as Kun did the same to him. Kun couldn’t begin to guess how old the man might be, considering the aging process for fae was something odd, but he was handsome and he sat with a straight back just like Isobel. His soft brown hair was pushed away from his face, giving a clear view of his impassive face and amber eyes. 

“Is this who you needed me to meet?” Kun asked a bit peevishly, “Because he doesn’t seem to talk much.” 

Isobel smirked slightly and nudged the man in the side with her elbow. “You heard the prince. Speak. Or have you used up all your words on the pretty girl?”   
  
The man rolled his eyes and set his tea cup on the low table as Tzuyu blushed, covering her face with her hands. The man noticed Tzuyu’s embarrassment and shot her an easy smile, the gesture transforming his entire face. No longer was he cold and removed, but warm and inviting. After a moment, the smile gentled, and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, peering at Kun.

When he spoke, his voice was deep and smokey, reminiscent of a low burning fire. “Hello, Kun. I know it has been a bit tough lately. But that’s precisely why Isobel has asked me to speak to you. We weren’t certain that you were prepared to meet, but now, we know that it’s not about what you’re ready for. It’s what you need. You need this. You need to know the full truth, and you must know me as well.” 

“I don’t understand,” Kun said, his eyes darting between the man and Isobel. Tzuyu seemed to be just as confused as Kun, indicating that she had only just been dragged into the plan. 

“What he is trying to say,” Isobel drawled, flicking her dark hair behind her shoulder as she also leaned forward, “is that he is your elder brother, Kun.”

Kun jolted hard enough that tea spilled down the front of his shirt and he let out an undignified string of swear words. Isobel and the man merely observed as Tzuyu fussed over Kun, aiding him in mopping up the tea off his shirt. After the servant and the prince had settled down, this prompted the man and Isobel to continue.

“I know that you believe that you don’t have any siblings,” Isobel said easily, “but this was a lie told you to by your parents. This is Qian Lei, your older brother, and the rightful heir to the Seelie kingdom.”

Kun froze at those words, his heart stilling in his chest. He had always been the Crown Prince, the sole heir to the throne. To know that there was someone else who could just as easily take the throne… he wasn’t sure if it was a relief or a new terror. Not that Lei seemed much like a threat, but after what he had discovered about his parents, he wasn’t sure he could trust anyone with his kingdom other than himself.

“When I was born, our parents discovered that I was not what they thought I was. And by that, I mean, it became evident that I was not what a Seelie heir should be. I was gifted with powers of the night, not from the sun. Our parents were horrified, certain that I would be the ruination of their kingdom. They sent me away, telling the kingdom that I had been still born and that it was such a tragedy, that I would be wiped from history. For our mother’s sake, since she was apparently  _ so  _ heartbroken.” At the last sentence, a bitter expression crossed over Lei’s face, but he continued anyway.

“Everyone who knew of the truth was either exiled or executed,” he said and the brothers paused, a mournful silence filling the room. “Meanwhile, I grew up in Thaynis, where neither the Seelie or the Unseelie could find me. When I was old enough, I joined the war. But I didn’t take any particular side, I just healed whoever I could, saved whoever I could, and the entire time I dreamt of a better world where we would not be so divided.”

Kun did not say that he had also spent a good amount of his life dreaming for the same thing.

“It was on the front lines that I met Oh Sehun.” At the mention of his friend’s name, Kun perked up, desperate to learn of Sehun’s safety. “I saved him, once, and eventually I shared my secret to him. He told me everything he knew about you and the court and our parents. He’s an amazing soldier, but an even better man.”

“Yes, he is,” Kun agreed somewhat quietly.

“Eventually,” Isobel interjected, “He met me as well, also on the front lines. My castle, my home, my family, had been torn from me. That is a story I’m not quite prepared to tell, but it’s one that I will have to share with you and my cousin eventually. I was… angry, inconsolable, and it was easy to tell, especially when I was on the battlefield. Lei met me on the frontlines, and he became one of my first friends after the demise of my family. He helped me find my coven, my friends, and from there, we agreed that something needed to be done.”

Lei nodded his agreement and took a sip from his tea. Looking at him, knowing what he did now, Kun could see the similarities between himself and his brother, even their parents as well. It was startling, to say the least. He found himself wishing that Ten was at his side to help him digest this information.

“For months, for  _ years _ , we planned and plotted and we waited. And then, the Seelie gave us the perfect opportunity when they shipped you off to Eplyae. We had accounted for your parents and traitors of Thaynis, and as such, our plan spiraled a bit out of control. When the traitors invaded Starfire, when they… killed Ten’s family and friends, Lei came racing to Eplyae to find out if you were among the dead. My personal coven met him there, explained that you escaped with the royal family. He didn’t join us until now, because he was dealing with the traitors, and ensuring that Eplyae was in a stable condition.” 

Isobel’s voice was so impossibly soft as she told the tale, softer than Kun had ever heard it before. And he could see it, in her jade dragon-eyes, that she had nothing but good intentions. And that she truly, deeply cared for Lei. Perhaps in a way that Lei himself did not even understand yet, nor Isobel. Kun thought of that dark-skinned girl that Isobel had said goodbye to and he wondered if she knew the connection that witch-queen and fae-king had with each other. He hoped that she would never find out, because sometimes, to see something with their soulmate and know that it’s not you, is simpy soul shredding.

“Traitors?” Kun inquired gently, if only to distract himself from the tangle of thoughts forming in his mind.

Isobel nodded stiffly, her lips pressed together in a deep frown. “The witches who have turned against my fallen family, who have decided that they will take Thaynis for themselves. They’re a bit like your parents in the regard that they will not only be satisfied with what they have, they want more. Thaynis will never be enough for them; they crave the fae lands as well, perhaps even other far off lands. They’re traitors in every sense of the word as they are part of the reason the witch royalty fell to begin with.”

Kun allowed this information to sink in, and Lei and Isobel gave him a moment to do so. His eyes drifted over to the altar on the other side of the room once more, staring at the painting of Sunmi. Her eyes were the same as Lei’s; golden and fiery, full of a fierce determination slightly muted by the agony of living. 

“Why are you telling me this?” He finally asked them, slumped in the arm chair, all of the energy zapped from his body after the day that he had. With a jolt, he noticed that Weiqin had come to lay at his feet, her golden-green eyes watching the others in the room wearily, as if she would pounce if they so much as moved wrong. Kun wondered if she missed her owner.

“Because,” Lei said carefully, reaching over to rest a hand on Kun’s knee, “today our parents will attempt to kill the Unseelie family. If they succeed in doing so, half of the Unseelie stronghold will have fallen, and the other half will have scattered to the wind. Even so, the action will bring war upon our kingdom, Kun. And one of the executed will be your lover. We are the only ones who can stop them. The only ones who can prevent history from repeating itself.”

“What are you saying?” Kun asked, a bit of an edge in his voice. Weiwei stiffened at the tone, baring her teeth at Lei, as if she would tear his throat out if he upset Kun anymore. 

“I am saying that we must free the Unseelie and stage a coup,” Lei said evenly, “Tonight.”   
  


“When the fuck will I ever get to sleep again?” Kun grumbled, throwing his head back onto the cushion of the armchair. “Fine. Tell me more.”

*

Hours later, as the sun began to crawl into the sky, Isobel and Lei slipped away while there were still shadows to conceal them. They promised they would be waiting for Kun in his quarters after he’d had breakfast. They also left Weiqin in his suite, feeling that the extra layer of protection would be needed. Isobel also vaguely mentioned that members of her coven would be around, willing to dispatch any threat that came his way.

Tzuyu accompanied him back to his chambers, Vernon and Chan standing guard at his door and offering sympathetic smiles to the two of them as they passed by. In the safety of his own room, Tzuyu selected something for him to wear and attempted to make him somewhat presentable. As she fussed over the collar of his shirt, in a very similar manner to how Taeil did, he caught her fluttering hands and forced her attention to his face.

“Sir?” she questioned in a trembling voice.

“Tzuyu,” he said softly, “Please take to my spare room. Get some rest. You’ve worked very hard tonight.”

She hesitated. “Are you sure?”

He nodded. “Very certain.”

With this, she took her leave into his spare bedroom, which he had for visitors and for his friends when they had long nights. His heart gave a small tug at the thought of his friends, but he quickly composed himself as Vernon announced the queen was at his door, having arrived for breakfast. If it were a normal day, he would have joined his parents in the dining room, but he was still under house arrest. Kun quickly shooed Weiqin into the spare room by Tzuyu, and the panther gave him an unimpressed look.

After a moment, once he felt that he was composed enough, he called for Vernon to allow his mother to enter.

The queen swept into the room with an air of superiority she had no right holding over others at such an early hour in the day. Behind her, servants came in, bringing food and tea that they set up in the sitting room with a speed that was unnerving. They kept their heads down, as if they were afraid to make eye contact with either of the royals in the room. 

“Thank you,” Kun said to them as they turned to exit the room. Queen Xia sent her son a perplexed look, but did not admonish him. When the room had emptied out and silence fell between them, Kun finally asked, “Where’s Father?”

Xia sipped her tea before giving her son an answer. “Busy. He has much to handle since your husband and his family caused such a fuss yesterday.”

“If I recall correctly,” he said as he loaded his plate with food, unable to recall the last time he’d had a meal, “They weren’t the ones responsible for that.”

Xia set her tea cup down on the saucer with force, the sound cutting through the room. Her glare was just as cutting as she folded her hands on the table, gripping her own fingers so tightly that her knuckles turned white. 

“The Unseelie have made you disobedient,” she hissed with a sneer, contempt drenching her every word. “You are not the good son that I sent away, are you? Is it your husband that has made you this way? Tell me, what have they done to you? Should we send you away to the front lines and see if you can be disciplined better?”   
  


Kun held up a hand, effectively ending her rant and leaving her look like a fish out of water. He stood, his chair scraping against the floor. “I’m feeling ill, I should get some rest. I think that you should leave.”

Xia gaped at him, sputtering syllables out at him, but he simply ignored her. Chan stepped into the room, offering to escort the queen rather cheerfully, and Kun had to hide his smile. She followed Chan out into the hall, but the glare she sent her son’s way was nothing short of withering. The door clicked shut and he waited a whole moment before stepping into his bedroom to slump on his bed. 

It took him several moments to realize there was another person in his room.

Isobel sat upon his dresser, kicking her feet and polishing her sword, as if she was some sort of child-soldier, awaiting their turn to fight on a battlefield. He supposed, at one point, she  _ had  _ been a child-soldier, that she had lost her innocence much too early. She had been a soldier for longer than she had been a child, and so had his brother. The thought was a knife to the heart, even if he didn’t know either of them that much yet.

“It’s good that you sent her away,” Isobel said, “We need to move soon and who knows how long that speech would have gone on for.”   
  
She hopped off of the dresser and sheathed her sword. He noticed that she had taken her cloak off and was now in her fighting leather, an array of weapons strapped to her body. She was clearly prepared for a fight. She reached behind her to grab something then tossed it to Kun. He peered down at the bundle in his hands to find that she had thrown his own set of fighting leathers to him.

Witch armor. 

He swallowed hard but changed into the leathers quickly. He accepted the knives and sword she handed to him once they had finished. Once she deemed him acceptable, she gestured for him to follow her out of his bedroom, and towards the door that would lead to the hallay. He hesitated at the threshold, peering over his shoulder to the guest room where Tzuyu lay sleeping.

Isobel rested a hand on his shoulder and offered a small, but sweet smile. “She’ll be okay. The guards will stay here at the door and Weiqin will stay here with her as well. She’s not the one at risk, anyways.”

Kun knew that she was right, but even so, his gut twisted at the idea of Tzuyu being hurt, or worse, executed because she had helped him. He hoped that if it came down to it, she would be able to escape, just as she had aided his friends in escaping. He paused, peering over his shoulder, taking in his chambers for what might very well be the last time. 

The scent of the sea drifted through the room and the only thought Kun had was that he hoped it all burned to the ground.

*

The castle, for the time of day, was startlingly empty. Isobel had handed him a cloak when they stepped out into the hall, pulling the hood over his eyes. For herself, she did not even attempt to cover her face, merely striding with a confidence and superiority that left people looking away in a fear. No one could question her when she walked through the halls as if she owned them. 

When they reached the lower levels of the castle, Kun knew that things would be much different, however. At the bottom of the stone stairs, the damp of the air tickling his bare skin, he froze, watching as Isobel drew her sword. She nodded at him, indicating for him to do the same. He did it without question, but remained tense, following her as she led him down a winding corridor that he knew did not end in the dungeons.

Rather, it ended a tunnel with stairs that ascended to the beach. The stairs were dusted in sand, crabs scuttling over the stone floor. At the top of the stairs, waiting for instruction, was a coven of witches and Lei himself. Isobel gestured with her hand for them to descend, and as they followed her instruction, he realized that Isobel would be a wonderful queen. 

The five witches that had revealed many truths to himself and Ten were among the group. The cat-eyed girl shot him a wicked grin and the short-haired girl blew him a kiss as she passed by him. It was Lei that stopped by his side, resting a hand on his shoulder and offering a tight, but reassuring smile. 

“They’ll protect you,” he said, “And Ten. That’s what we’re here for.”

“To protect us?” Kun’s eyebrows raised, dubiously.

Lei smiled, bright and out of place in the catacombs and dungeons of Sunburst. “No. To protect the image of a better world.”   
  
It was with that Lei stepped away, coming to stand with Isobel, the two conversing quietly as they took up the lead of their little group. Kun found himself in the center, covered on all sides by witches with sharp, sparkling weapons. The light-haired lovers flanked either side of them, their smiles awfully bright for what laid ahead of them. The one on his left, who proclaimed her name as Yuna, chatted his ear off, perhaps in an attempt to soothe him.

He had nearly joined her chatter when they came to a stop, and a fork of purple electricity lashed through the room, causing the witches around him to tense and surge forward. They must have reached the guards. Kun, who still had very little experience in actual battle, pressed himself against the wall to give them the space that they would need.

His eyes were naturally drawn to the warriors at the front of the group.

Isobel was a tornado of steel and electricity, leaving charred, bleeding bodies in her wake. Lei opted out of using his magic, but his body glowed an eerie silvery-light as he sliced through guards, his precision scarily similar to that of Jaehyun or Johnny’s. There was a red-haired woman that Kun had seen at Isobel’s side a few times and she didn’t have a single weapon in hand, not that she seemed to need one. Her teeth were stained silver as she continued to rip throats out with her elongated canines; her laugh drifted through the stone hall.

The cat-eyed girl and dark haired girl fought back to back, with both blades and magic, their chemistry tangible.

They had hacked a way through the guards in only a few minutes. Isobel caught Kun’s arm in an iron grip and dragged him down the hall, towards where he  _ knew  _ the dungeons were. The fae that stood guard at the Unseelie’s cells froze at the sight of three monarchs before them, especially as they realized that one of them was their own. Unbeknownst to them,  _ two  _ of the monarchs were their own.

Isobel and Lei’s grins were near feral as they leveled their swords at the guards’ chests.

“We can do this the easy way,” Kun offered, raising his own sword, “or the hard way. You choose.”

A laugh echoed from behind the guards and Lisa swam into view, her own grin rather feral as she gripped the bars. BamBam stood at her back, as if guarding her despite there being a set of bars protecting her from the carnage. 

“Bow down to your king,” Lisa crooned, and reaching through the bars, all of her rings on her fingers sparkling, she laid a hand on one of the guard’s backs. He jumped, turning to probably break her hand, but before he could so, the man was dropping to the ground, screaming in agony. Lisa peered down at his writhing body, eyes void of any emotion other than wrath. 

Isobel shrugged and grinned once more. “We warned you.”

Blood and screams filled the hall once more, and as the guards were occupied, Kun took the keys from the writhing guard and immediately began to free the members of the Unseelie court. They picked weapons off of fallen guards, throwing themselves into the fray, delight coursing through them at the chance to claim revenge. 

The last cell that Kun came upon was the one that Ten and Irene occupied, huddled together, hands entwined. At the sight of Kun, the prince was jolting to his feet. Kun tensed, prepared for Ten to berate him for involving himself in something so dangerous, but rather, Ten was pulling Kun into his arms. Kun melted into the touch and let out a small sigh at the sensation of Ten nuzzling his nose at the sensitive skin in the crook of Kun’s neck.

“You’re safe,” Ten breathed, relief evident in his voice and the relaxed line of his body. 

“ _ You’re  _ safe,” Kun whispered, running his fingers through Ten’s soft hair. “You’re the one that was at risk of being executed.”

They could have stood there forever, wrapped in each other’s embrace, content with the fact that the both of them were safe, but they didn’t have forever. Isobel called for them and they released each other, linking each other’s fingers together. Kun dragged Ten through the hall, stepping over the bodies of guards, his heart straining as he did so. They were his people, he should be helping them, but all he could feel was rage at the fact that they would have hurt Ten if they could have.

Waiting at the bottom of the stairs that ascended to the beach stood Isobel and Irene, two queens in their own right, waiting and watching for their people. 

“Up the stairs,” Isobel instructed, “Follow the witches. They will lead you to a boat that will take you to safety.”   
  
“What then?” Kun asked, his grip on Ten tightening.

Irene’s expression was grim as she answered him. “We try to stay alive, then we regroup and make a plan.”

This seemed reasonable enough. Kun and Ten ascended the stairs, up to the sand and the sun. Holding hands, following the laughter and voices of the witches and Unseelie, Ten and Kun raced down the length of the sand. The ocean lapped at their feet, the sun warmed their skin, and the knowledge of freedom chased their feet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wasn't planning to update again so quickly but i had a strike of Inspiration. i know i just revealed A LOT so please let me know if you have any questions, i am more than willing to clarify anything that seems a bit foggy. if you guys would be interested in a prequel about the queen's, please let me know bc it's someting i would love to provide. lastly, i love you all, merry christmas and happy new year!
> 
> if you wanna talk or hang out here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) and [curious cat](https://t.co/0W7CyOjNRV?amp=1)

**Author's Note:**

> ohmygosh this has been an idea i've had for a very long time and i'm very excited to share it with you all. this first chapter is a bit shorter than i'd like but it's just laying the plot and characterization for ten and kun. as for the universe and such, it's heavily influenced by many books i've read as of late such as: a court of thorns and roses series, throne of glass series, the cruel king. i wonder if any of you will be able to catch those influences, but fret not the plot and the mythology that will be interspersed through this are from me even if certain aspects are influenced from my favorite books.
> 
> i hope you enjoy this and love it just as much as i have fallen in love with this universe. 
> 
> if you wanna talk or hang out here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) and [curious cat](https://t.co/0W7CyOjNRV?amp=1)


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